I’m not saying they replace Patriot missiles, obviously that’s not the case. I’m just saying you can cause a lot of damage with a $100 dollar drone and some c4, pretty similar damage to a $400,000 missile. The missiles aren’t really showing their cost-impact ratios to be good if what the Russians are spending on Ukraine is to be taken as evidence
Don’t forget scouting. Giving soldiers in the field the ability to poke one over a hill can be useful. A $25 FPV drone off Amazon can do that job if that’s all you can afford.
Not that you’d use a Patriot against that, either.
You aren’t going to take out an arms warehouse, a bridge, or anything of tactical meaningfulness with a grenade drone.
They are good for taking out soft targets but that’s about it. Their use is extremely limited as grenades are only good as anti-personnel weapons.
Comparing them to Patriot missiles is silly. Different uses.
They wouldn’t use Patriot missiles on targets where grenades are effective.
A block of c4 is as easily taped to a drone as a grenade and that will take out the targets you mentioned.
A block of C4 would put maybe dents in the type of targets that Patriot missiles are designed for.
You also need to be within vicinity of your target to be able to operate a drone, which a missile doesn’t need.
Drones can be easily jammed. Missiles aren’t easily jammed, not with the same tech stack needed for drone jamming.
Apples and oranges. Different targets, different engagements, different applications entirely.
I’m not saying they replace Patriot missiles, obviously that’s not the case. I’m just saying you can cause a lot of damage with a $100 dollar drone and some c4, pretty similar damage to a $400,000 missile. The missiles aren’t really showing their cost-impact ratios to be good if what the Russians are spending on Ukraine is to be taken as evidence
now that’s a multiple meaning I can get behind. soft, pudgy, vodka filled targets.
Don’t forget scouting. Giving soldiers in the field the ability to poke one over a hill can be useful. A $25 FPV drone off Amazon can do that job if that’s all you can afford.
Not that you’d use a Patriot against that, either.