Quote from: Beermonster58 on May 07, 2024, 11:21:14 PM

Quote from: Weaver on May 07, 2024, 02:35:26 PMThe aircraft sits over a low-intensity conflict zone at 15,000ft, well out of range of AAA and MANPADS. .

Not out of range of AAA guns typically larger than about 37mm calibre. The Javelin MANPAD on which I trained was effective up to 5500 metres. The current StarStreak MANPAD has an effective ceiling of 7000 metres  Also, they'd be a very juicy target for any missile larger than a MANPAD system which would also include any mobile SAM system

Yes, but my point is that this is a weapon for low-intensity conflicts, where the majority of enemy combatants don't have AAA over 23mm or missiles bigger than MANPADS. If a MANPADS can reach 15,000ft then it can only do it at the very apex of it's "threat envelope", directly above the launcher. If the aircraft is flying level at a decent speed, it'll be out of the threat envelope by the time the missile has climbed up to it, and that's not counting countermeasures. If the exposure is too long, then the plane can just fly higher: the same principle should work just as well at 20,000 ft. In any case, it might not need to overfly the target: it takes a significant amount of time for the cannon rounds to reach the ground, and the Gunship can turn away as soon as they're fired. It might not even enter the threat envelope.

Javelin and Starstreak are visually aimed and command-guided: got to wonder how accurate they are against 15-20,000 ft targets when only using the optics on a man-portable launcher.

Quote from: Weaver on May 08, 2024, 11:24:20 AM

Quote from: Beermonster58 on May 07, 2024, 11:21:14 PM

Quote from: Weaver on May 07, 2024, 02:35:26 PMThe aircraft sits over a low-intensity conflict zone at 15,000ft, well out of range of AAA and MANPADS. .

Not out of range of AAA guns typically larger than about 37mm calibre. The Javelin MANPAD on which I trained was effective up to 5500 metres. The current StarStreak MANPAD has an effective ceiling of 7000 metres  Also, they'd be a very juicy target for any missile larger than a MANPAD system which would also include any mobile SAM system

Javelin and Starstreak are visually aimed and command-guided: got to wonder how accurate they are against 15-20,000 ft targets when only using the optics on a man-portable launcher.

Accurate enough to make them a threat . And, a missile exploding in the aircraft's vicinity is going to get  someone's attention even if it doesn't hit anything. All it takes is one hit or, even a near miss  and suddenly, bumbling around at 15 - 20,000ft over the battle area is a very unattractive prospect for what is probably a very expensive asset

I don't think that they will hang around long enough for someone to take  another pot shot at them just in case they get lucky? How does one  define "low intensity" anyway and, how can one be sure exactly what capabilities the opponent has? We certainly cannot exclude the possibility that someone might be happy to aid your opponent by providing (for example) longer range SAMs  and, may have (unbeknown to you) already have done so.
 I accept however that cloud and/or night conditions will largely eliminate the threat of visually aimed AAA & MANPADs so, your suggestion does have merit assuming the hypothetical aircraft is equipped to track and hit targets under such conditions.

Maybe jets aren't the solution, turboprops.

Quote from: McColm on May 08, 2024, 11:10:28 PMMaybe jets aren't the solution, turboprops.

  Embraer Super Tucano?

Quote from: Beermonster58 on May 08, 2024, 06:38:29 PMHow does one  define "low intensity" anyway and, how can one be sure exactly what capabilities the opponent has? We certainly cannot exclude the possibility that someone might be happy to aid your opponent by providing (for example) longer range SAMs  and, may have (unbeknown to you) already have done so.

Well a longer-range SAM will immediately reveal it's presence by it's radar emissions, and then dealing with it becomes a regular SEAD operation.

Most of the insurgencies we've seen haven't had bigger things that MANPADS. Bigger missiles are BIG and need a lot of BIG infrastructure like launchers, control vans and radars to go with them. They're not the sort of thing you can smuggle in over the mountains on a donkey or hide in a crate of "machine parts".

Quote from: zenrat on May 06, 2024, 03:48:32 AMOnce proper AI comes along there will be no need to have a link between a drone and an operator.  The UAV will be flown by an onboard mind.
"Fighter Jet" ( ) UAVs will have a massive advantage over piloted aircraft in that they will be able to pull much more G as there is no soft squishy human to worry about.
This is why the Cylons should have won every battle in BSG.

Except of course there is no gravity in space so Viper piloting soft squishy things are as immune to G-forces as the cylons would be.

Quote from: Flyer on May 09, 2024, 05:36:43 AM

Quote from: zenrat on May 06, 2024, 03:48:32 AMOnce proper AI comes along there will be no need to have a link between a drone and an operator.  The UAV will be flown by an onboard mind.
"Fighter Jet" ( ) UAVs will have a massive advantage over piloted aircraft in that they will be able to pull much more G as there is no soft squishy human to worry about.
This is why the Cylons should have won every battle in BSG.

Except of course there is no gravity in space so Viper piloting soft squishy things are as immune to G-forces as the cylons would be.

No mate, they still have inertia.  Its acceleration and deceleration (due to changes of direction for example) which cause G forces.  Gravity (from a planetary body for example) is different and is due to mass.

A human inside a spacecraft travelling at a steady velocity in space is weightless.  But if the craft brakes then the human will experience the same braking forces as you or i in our car when we brake - being thrown forwards.  A spacecraft flown by a computer would be able to brake with sufficient force that a human would be smeared across the windscreen.  Same for other changes of velocity (direction).