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Drone Tactics


rogue189

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I have a question, why is it so easy for drones to get shot down?  As I understand the rules, the stealthy drones are supposed to be difficult to spot as long as they are not used to attack.  However, my experience seems to be the opposite.  Whenever I deploy a drone during the setup of a mission, it is usually shot down within the first 5 minutes.  If I get a drone to last 10 minutes I feel lucky.   I have been working on improving my game play started up the Bridge of Kharalyk.  However, my RQ-7B Shadow was shot down within the first 3 minutes.  My understanding was that this a a more difficult drone to detect. Am I wrong?  Am I just unlucky?  Should I expect these things to not last?  Is there anything I can do better?

 

Update: My Raven was shot down at the 5 minute mark.  ugh!

Edited by rogue189
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What are your drones getting shot down by? I use them a lot and in most games they are immortal...unless there are some Tunguskas around. If there are keep your drones well away from them as they are real Grim Reapers. If you can, try to get observation by some other means and take them out with precision rounds. Finding and liquidating them should be your first priority, then you should be able to use your Ravens pretty freely. The Russian MANPADS don't seem to be effective against them at all.

Michael

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I won't surprise if it was shot down by Tunguska. 

21 hours ago, rogue189 said:

My understanding was that this a a more difficult drone to detect

RQ-7 is a small size UAV, but it is not a stealth UAV. 

My guess the RCS of RQ-7 should be in the range of 0.1m^2 ~ 1m^2 . So it could be hard to detect by radar at long distance or by old generation mobile SAM radar, but not invisible to the modern radar at short distance 

If the RQ-7 is circling over a Tunguska for couple minutes , I won't surprise at some time Tunguska's radar be able to catch enough radar reflection signal , then using either IR or optic to ID the target before firing a burst of 30mm 

Edited by Chibot Mk IX
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On 3/15/2019 at 10:30 PM, rogue189 said:

I have a question, why is it so easy for drones to get shot down? 

Is there anything I can do better?

Update: My Raven was shot down at the 5 minute mark.  ugh!

Tunguskas are very deadly for Raven and Shadow UAVs.  The only UAV that is safe is the Gray Eagle.  The Gray Eagle is only safe if it does not use its Hellfire missiles.  If I think the OpFor has a Tunguska, I make the Tunguska a priority target and try not to use air support.  No UAVs (except Gray Eagle), no fixed wing & no choppers.  In an ideal situation if I had a Gray Eagle I would attempt to locate the Tunguska with the Gray Eagle and destroy it with precision rounds.  Then I would bring in my remaining air support.  But dealing with a Tunguska (or two or three) can be a real PITA. 

Below is some general information on UAVs that might give you some ideas.  Good luck.           

US UAVs:   Raven shot down by AAA, Shadow shot down by AAA & SAMs, Gray Eagle only shot down by AAA & SAMs during attack.  

General UAV Information:   

UAVs are equipped with high resolution cameras and thermal imagers, allowing them to be used night or day.

Experience of a UAV determines how long it takes to get on station (If UAV is deployed in setup it arrives on station 1st turn).

Experience affects the observation/detection ability of the UAV and for the US Gray Eagle the time to fire a Hellfire. 

If a spotter has a satellite link, via PDA or vehicle, the spotter can call for artillery fire on any area observed by any friendly UAV. 

UAVs have three types of targets: Point, Area & Linear. UAV missions don’t need LOS & can be placed anywhere on the map anytime.

Small UAVs (US Raven & Russian ZALA) have up to 400m area & linear observation.

All other UAVs have up to 700m area & linear observation.

UAV status: Receiving, Preparing, Observing.  UAVs can be adjusted but the status will read preparing not adjusting.

If the controller for a Raven or Zala UAV is KIA or incapacitated while the UAV is in the air, the UAV will crash. Larger UAVs auto cancel.

Units that are spot objectives can be spotted by UAVs.  

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I read somewhere that in Ukraine the Russians had developed a tactic of flying two drones, one ahead of the other. The first would draw fire, deplete firer ammo and heat up their gun barrels, the second would come after and spot the firing units.

Here's footage of a drone bring brought down by small arms fire.

 

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14 hours ago, Dynaman216 said:

If this is a standard tactic the first drone can purposely be built with less expensive components too.  Those on the ground have no real choice but to shoot it down if they can or be spotted unless in cover already.

Similar tactic has already been developed by IAF and USAF, see ADM-141 I-TALD.

in other news , I remember in 2018 IDF fired a Patriot Missile to shoot down a $999 DJI commercial UAV

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