sidcow Posted March 16, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted March 16, 2023 1 hour ago, magnkarl said: FSB building burning in Rostov. I presume the building fell out of its own window and someone smoked on the wreckage. Edit, it appears to have blown up before falling out of the window. Exploding vape apparently. Damn Chinese and their cheap unreliable electric goods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Propeller still spinning and in-tact in the video. I wonder if they are chuckling to themselves in Moscow that they managed to down a US drone without really touching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 16, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2023 2 minutes ago, Genie said: Propeller still spinning and in-tact in the video. I wonder if they are chuckling to themselves in Moscow that they managed to down a US drone without really touching it. It's not. After the first SU-27 flies close, yes. But you cannot see that for the second - the video ends before we can see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 16, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2023 In fact, in the extended video, it is shown as damaged. So there we go! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 (edited) 9 minutes ago, blandy said: It's not. After the first SU-27 flies close, yes. But you cannot see that for the second - the video ends before we can see. Ah ok, I thought they were 2 videos of the same incident/ fly past. I didn’t realise it was plane 1 and plane 2. Edited March 16, 2023 by Genie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 16, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2023 The extended version seems to confirm a few things. One blade of the prop has the end missing. Clearest here The drop out of the link is caused by the jet obscuring line of sight between the UAV wideband satcom link and the satellite. Then there's a delay while the link is re-established. So the Reaper was fitted with the full suite of kit (they don't all have wideband satellite links, afaik). The Russian version of events is untrue! Who'd a thunk it! Apparently they had 19 passes at the Reaper, before they eventually got so close they hit it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 1 hour ago, blandy said: I will add, for the Reaper, which is a pretty modern system and therefore likely equipped with pretty recent avionics, that pyrotechnic devices would be less likely to be used, but the tech is extremely highly classified and no one is going to truthfully identify, publicly, how it is protected. You and your specialist knowledge. I've got two RC helicopters. One of which I can land safely on a stack of CDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 16, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2023 8 minutes ago, Xann said: You and your specialist knowledge. I've got two RC helicopters. One of which I can land safely on a stack of CDs. Nice! No important CDs I hope. The thing I guess that the US would want to protect and can, is stuff like the bulk data store - a big "memory card" basically, where all the mission and sensor data would be stored throughout the mission, for post mission analysis and vehicle maintenance purposes - the sensor data would reveal to the Russians (if they got it). Exactly what the US was seeing and how capable that vision is. They would also want to protect crypto devices and codes etc. I'm pretty sure that that stuff could and would be wiped/erased. What's harder to protect, obviously is stuff like the cameras, computers, radio links and so on - Russia if they get hold of them could clearly identify a lot from those - Camera resolution and such like. In terms of anti-tamper - we've kind of already mentioned (in the link I posted) that techniques like particular software routines, voltage discharge to wreck FPGAs and chips could perhaps have been embedded in some equipment to protect the intellectual capability. I doubt explosives/pyros are involved, but stress I don't know and couldn't know what or how any measures are implemented for Reapers or indeed anything at all. I'm purely, er, speculating, if that's the right word. Or educated guess, maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 16, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2023 Oh and in thinking about all this incident and implications, I wonder if the US wouldn't be even more riled about Russia recovering the Reaper, than them colliding into it -I mean they will be desperate for Russia not to get their hands on it. They can maybe tolerate a single event of a pilot flying dangerously and causing the loss of the UAV, but if Russia then fetches it out of the water and exploits it/ shares what they find with Iran and China, that would be massive. And severely up the stakes. Russia, on the other hand, would love to get it. You have to think its more than possible they intentionally downed it with the aim of grabbing it. If that's the case, and they do grab it...well. Who knows where that might lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 I reckon one of the first things the US would have said to Russia would have been to not even think about recovering that drone. If Russia even tries to get there first I expect big trouble. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 11 minutes ago, Genie said: I reckon one of the first things the US would have said to Russia would have been to not even think about recovering that drone. If Russia even tries to get there first I expect big trouble. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 22 minutes ago, avfc1982am said: That’s what they did with Grozny. Go on street view and have a walk around and it’s all newly built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 14 minutes ago, LondonLax said: That’s what they did with Grozny. Go on street view and have a walk around and it’s all newly built. Yeah I know. It's what they do. Just try to completely erase cities as being anything but Russian. Putin will die at some point and I think they'll just end up handing it back over if Ukraine haven't taken it back by then, using force. Sending your Nation to war is one thing, but looking to conquer land and doing it when you are into your later years is plain stupid. Especially when you will never be around long enough to stabilise the mess you've created. Then to try and rebuild cities that have been destroyed, whilst still in the midst of war with an unknown outcome strikes me as weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Just now, avfc1982am said: Yeah I know. It's what they do. Just try to completely erase cities as being anything but Russian. Putin will die at some point and I think they'll just end up handing it back over if Ukraine haven't taken it back by then, using force. Sending your Nation to war is one thing, but looking to conquer land and doing it when you are into your later years is plain stupid. Especially when you will never be around long enough to stabilise the mess you've created. Then to try and rebuild cities that have been destroyed, whilst still in the midst of war with an unknown outcome strikes me as weird. I’m not sure it ends with Putin’s death. His successor would likely just take up the mantle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 1 minute ago, LondonLax said: I’m not sure it ends with Putin’s death. His successor would likely just take up the mantle. He's touching 70 now isn't he What you saying, he's immortal lol? Course he will die, maybe another 10 years or more, who knows. However, I'm not certain Russia will continue down this path when he does depart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 16, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trekka Posted March 16, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted March 16, 2023 (edited) 7 minutes ago, avfc1982am said: He's touching 70 now isn't he What you saying, he's immortal lol? Course he will die, maybe another 10 years or more, who knows. However, I'm not certain Russia will continue down this path when he does depart. Of course they're not saying that (and I'm surprised you felt the need to post as you did). I guess when he does go, there could be a chance of someone close to him taking up power. Then it's anyone's guess what will happen. Plead forgiveness for all of the pain, suffering and embarrassment Putin has caused or say they'll honour the late President to fulfil his wishes? For what it's worth, perhaps hopingly, I do think we'll see real change and Russia will enter a period of true reflection of what has happened and where it should see itself in the future. Edited March 16, 2023 by trekka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 20 minutes ago, LondonLax said: I’m not sure it ends with Putin’s death. His successor would likely just take up the mantle. To be honest I doubt he will. Everyone can see what a shambles this is. Whoever takes over will be abandoning Putins delusions as fast as possible 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted March 16, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted March 16, 2023 1 hour ago, avfc1982am said: He's touching 70 now isn't he What you saying, he's immortal lol? Course he will die, maybe another 10 years or more, who knows. However, I'm not certain Russia will continue down this path when he does depart. He literally talked about his death in the post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts