Re: Interesting - Ukraine Missiles Use Open Source, Russians Use Pi-4s

On 2026-07-20 06:52, c186282 wrote:
> On 7/19/26 18:55, Computer Nerd Kev wrote:
>> rbowman <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On Sat, 18 Jul 2026 19:38:31 -0400, c186282 wrote:
>>>>     Meanwhile, everything made in USA costs a million dollars per unit
>>>>     and take forever to build.
>>>
>>> I forget who said 'Generals do not end wars; accountants do.'  Estimates
>>> vary but the Tamir missile used by Iron Dome costs around $50K. When you
>>> use them to blow up a $5K DJI drone the costs add up fast. That's 
>>> chicken
>>> feed compared to the cost of a Tomahawk.
>>
>> The USA and Israel are getting deep into laser weapons now for that
>> reason, but I'm just waiting for drones/missiles to arrive sporting
>> mirrors designed to reflect those beams back and set fire to things
>> on the ground instead.
> 
>    Um ... that would NOT be so difficult/expensive
>    to do :-)
> 
>    Even a sub-micron of gold on the missile body
>    would reflect most laser attacks. Putting a
>    'lens' pattern, retroflectors, in that would
>    kinda help do what you said.
> 
>    Alas, "phasors", particle-beam weapons, have
>    proven impractical - at least within an
>    atmosphere.
> 
>    This leaves lasers and, to an extent, masers.
> 
>    But over-heating a big missile in flight with
>    a laser ... NOT as easy as it sounds. Lasers
>    may be better for blasting little DRONES. This
>    WILL be useful, but not the WHOLE modern picture.
> 
>    Governments, esp the USA, still have this fixation
>    on giant warships/bombers and such. Lots of troops
>    to salute the high officers, very impressive. Alas
>    these are now huge slow TARGETS. Massive money for
>    something that will be blown up almost instantly.

Iran has not yet blown an air carrier over there.

> 
>    The MODERN paradigm - pioneered by Ukraine - is
>    the "nest of hornets" picture.
> 
>    Sometimes attributed to Stalin - "Quantity has
>    a quality all of its own". Ukraine has proven
>    that. Dirt-cheap drones, but LOTS of them, get
>    through 20th-century defenses very well.
> 


-- 
Cheers,
        Carlos E.R.
        ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;