What's the best defense against Iran's drones?

[kyzr]

It will always be a multi layered system. E.g. Iron Dome, HPM, ECM and barrel weapons like the Skyranger, mobile and fixed.

View attachment 1226469

Looks good!!

Skyranger – Mobile air defence

With the Oerlikon Skyranger® family Rheinmetall offers self-propelled air defence systems to protect mobile vital assets such as mechanized forces or convoys.

www.rheinmetall.com

 

[JohnDB]

 

[kyzr]

CRAM gattling gun

At a $15,0000,000 price tag plus expensive bullets, $30,000 cost to shoot down one incoming missile, only the Gulf states could probably afford to use this.

 

[JohnDB]

At a $15,0000,000 price tag plus expensive bullets, $30,000 cost to shoot down one incoming missile, only the Gulf states could probably afford to use this.

Yeah....still same issues with this system....5 seconds to think through the target before activating...then the price per round....then it's easily overwhelmed because of the speed at which it will empty its magazine.

It is effective against artillery and mortars....but that's not really what we need in this instance.

 

[Kruska]

It stems from the 60'ies where nobody cared about ammo costs and supply issues.
It is still a useful system for those countries that don't care about the above mentioned issues.

However the Centurion C-RAM faces the same main problem as the former double fed Rheinmetall 20mm - 20mm caliber isn't suitable to disperse ahead-ammunition. Therefore these barrel based weapon systems were all upgraded to 30 or 35mm.

Modern Chinese C-RAM's (Land & Naval) are therefore equipped with multi-barrel 30mm. Similar to the US Avenger gun.

 

[JohnDB]

It stems from the 60'ies where nobody cared about ammo costs and supply issues.
It is still a useful system for those countries that don't care about the above mentioned issues.

However the Centurion C-RAM faces the same main problem as the former double fed Rheinmetall 20mm - 20mm caliber isn't suitable to disperse ahead-ammunition. Therefore these barrel based weapon systems were all upgraded to 30 or 35mm.

Modern Chinese C-RAM's (Land & Naval) are therefore equipped with multi-barrel 30mm. Similar to the US Avenger gun.

Also....
Distance is close....it's a "last line" of air defense. Meaning munitions are close enough that they can cause some sort of damage if they explode. (Mortars, missiles, and cruise missile style munitions)

That's not ideal especially if they contain chemical, radiological or biological payloads.

I think that we can do better. There's a strong possibility that several anti-drone systems exist but are just unknown about. Getting through the political process is the difficult part. Not the development.

 

[Kruska]

Also....
Distance is close....it's a "last line" of air defense. Meaning munitions are close enough that they can cause some sort of damage if they explode. (Mortars, missiles, and cruise missile style munitions)

That's not ideal especially if they contain chemical, radiological or biological payloads.

I think that we can do better. There's a strong possibility that several anti-drone systems exist but are just unknown about. Getting through the political process is the difficult part. Not the development.

Yes the political process! however one should not forget the "manufacturing" capacity/capability - a major problem for Western countries. This is how Russia manages to survive it's Ukraine war, not via "respectable" weapon systems, but sheer numbers.

As Marco Rubio "accidentally" or stupidly publicly mentioned - the USA is only able to produce around 10 Thaad & 30 Patriot missiles per month. Off-course US adversaries are well informed about this - since many years - and that's how drones started to come up.

The most effective drone-killer in the UAF - are those Gepard AA tanks (2x35mm) and 2 IGLA's. Tthe Qataris must be kicking their buds for having sold 22 Gepard systems in 2024 to Ukraine.

 

[JohnDB]

Yes the political process! however one should not forget the "manufacturing" capacity/capability - a major problem for Western countries. This is how Russia manages to survive it's Ukraine war, not via "respectable" weapon systems, but sheer numbers.

As Marco Rubio "accidentally" or stupidly publicly mentioned - the USA is only able to produce around 10 Thaad & 30 Patriot missiles per month. Off-course US adversaries are well informed about this - since many years - and that's how drones start to come up.

The most effective drone-killer in the UAF - are those Gepard AA tanks. And especially the Qataris must be kicking their buds for having sold 22 Gepard systems in 2024 to Ukraine.

View attachment 1226987

Electric motorized drones require electric motors made with Rare Earth Elements....
Including the batteries.
Meaning Chinese made goods.

We need to get going on our refining and manufacturing capabilities. Without a doubt.

 

[SaxonJackson]

What's the best defense against Iran's drones?​

Stop bombing Iranian citizens and go home.

 

[JohnDB]

What's the best defense against Iran's drones?​

Stop bombing Iranian citizens and go home.

Bombing those who.launch such things seems to be working out OK.

Kill the archer....not his flying arrows seems to be an effective policy.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

At a $15,0000,000 price tag plus expensive bullets, $30,000 cost to shoot down one incoming missile, only the Gulf states could probably afford to use this.

How much does a fighter jet cost?

 

[Kruska]

What's the best defense against Iran's drones?​

Stop bombing Iranian citizens and go home.

I whole heartily agree - "but" IMO it's too late for that now, since last years attack on Iran in 2025 - their enrichment has stepped up considerably - and they are getting the necessary backup in regards to developing/producing the implosion tec. they are missing.

 

[MisterBeale]

You know what it's like there, Bealeio?

I honestly don't know. But I don't think anyone on this forum really knows either.


This guy makes the rounds on non-state sponsored podcasts in Europe and the U.S.

Mohammad Marandi - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

He was on former Fox News contributor, Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom podcast at around 11am E.S.T. today. The feed, of course, was blinking in and out, but it was a good interview.

Now of course, I can't say if what he is saying is anymore truthful than what CFR propagandists in this nation feed the crowds, I really don't know.

But there are many independent international figures that make the independent news podcast circuit. They are all pretty much singing the same tune.

Yes yes, it could all be totally deceptive Iranian propaganda, I'm aware. But most of these indie pod-cast's were more accurate about what was going on in Ukraine and Gaza than any of the CFR corporate news, so, I think it wise to include them in a survey of current event information.



And yes, I know the narratives that western mockingbird media is putting out, you need not tell me them.

I am just by nature, completely skeptical of everything unless I see visual proof, or hear it, with my own eyes and ears. I don't trust any government, religious dogma organizations, NGOs or corporations. It is the burden of having a complete free intellect.



I don't mind that you trust & believe some of these organizations. Life would not be so awesome if we all believed the same things, and thought & felt the same. You're cool in book.

 

[Lockback]

What's the best defense against Iran's drones?​

Stop bombing Iranian citizens and go home.

Oh, okay, quitter.

 

[Kruska]

Bombing those who.launch such things seems to be working out OK.

Kill the archer....not his flying arrows seems to be an effective policy.

At present, I wouldn't interpret too much into these figures.

 

[MisterBeale]

At present, I wouldn't interpret too much into these figures.

That professor from the University of Iran said on the first day that Iran launched 1,500 missiles. That truth is probably somewhere between that figure and the 350 that the CIA is telling our media.

 

[Mushroom]

CWIS

Yes but remember that AA guns have
(a) a very limited range (effective out to 1.5 miles and maximum 4-5 miles).
(b) shoot very fast, meaning ammo depletes quickly and it takes time to reload.
(c) are used on the final point defense in a layered defense not as a one size fits all.

And also when possible fighters.

A lot of the fighters in the air the last few days over Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and Bahrain were actually tasked with intercepting drones. Over 1,000 Iranian drones have been shot down so far, most of them by aircraft.

And this is absolutely nothing new. The British were shooting down German V-1 missiles with Spitfires in WWII with machine guns. And because these are simply dumb suicide drones, they are real easy to hit with the guns on a jet so they do not even need to use missiles.

But for point defense, C-RAM is the best solution. And the Army only has 3 battalions of C-RAM. And it would not surprise me when this is over that finally might get increased.

They might even get the funding finally to fulfill their goals from 20 years ago. That is to make true "Air Defense Battalions". I saw those plans many years ago, and they were impressive. Reduce the number of PATRIOT batteries in a battalion from 4 to 3. Then add in a battery of THAAD, and a battery of AVENGER and/or C-RAM.

The latter was still up in the air when I worked in PATRIOT. Some were arguing for one of each, others were favoring an either/or approach where some battalions got AVENGER, and others got C-RAM.

And AVENGER can also be used against drones. But only a few ADA battalions have them. There were once 26 batteries of them in service, I want to say that is around 5 today.

 

[SaxonJackson]

Bombing those who.launch such things seems to be working out OK.

Kill the archer....not his flying arrows seems to be an effective policy.

Are you nuts? They've been in defensive mode since the terrorist attacks against them began. They didn't start the war against their innocent civilians. They're simply trying to protect them.

 

[GLASNOST]

Are you nuts?

I think so.

 

[shockedcanadian]

During WW2 the US navy had effective anti-aircraft guns with proximity fused shells.

So why are we shooting $20,000,000 missiles at $20,000 drones?

Is there a computer/AI controlled anti-aircraft gun system that might be better?

U.S. 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft (WWII) - Inert-Ord.Net

I think the same, there must be a far cheaper, large munitions interceptor for these drones, driven by A.I. China is sitting back and letting the world, especially the U.S; deplete their resources. Imagine if China took Taiwan? That would be a horrific result and an instant legacy determinent. Some of us warned that military tactics are changing with drones and A.I. If the goal was to just prop up defense companies for multi million dollar per missile contracts, China is just going to increase the costs for the U.S to counter their cheap made drones. In effect, bankrupting the West via cost of war. Again, some of us loudly warned of this, Iran was always going to do this (others will too). The West needs to wake the hell up or we are going to lose the planet to China