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drray23

(8,697 posts)
Mon Mar 2, 2026, 09:37 PM 14 hrs ago

I fear (for our soldiers and civilians) that we are going to find the hard way

that wars in 2026 are no longer typical wars where you come in with tanks, navy ships, planes, and bomb and steamroll the hell out of the other country. We are in the era of drones. They can be manufactured in the thousands cheaply, are fast, and are hard to detect or intercept. The cost of one patriot missile is many times that of a drone (around 3.7 million per missile).

See this for the cost of various interceptors:

https://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/missile-defense-systems-2/missile-defense-systems/missile-interceptors-by-cost/

Ukraine has demonstrated that it can hold conventional Russian forces at bay. Russia had to get Iran to supply them with drones and then start producing some themselves.

I know we have drones too, but it has not yet been made into the primary attacl vector, we still go old school with Tomahawk missiles (that we are running low on) and the like.

Compounded to that, add the fact that Trump and his goons were totally unjustified in starting this war, did not prepare for it or plan for the consequences of it, are inept at executing it and we are in trouble.

Update: This is a Shahed Drone, small, can fly 2500kms (about 1500 miles) at low speed and altitude, carry about 80lbs of explosive.
https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_800,h_800/


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I fear (for our soldiers and civilians) that we are going to find the hard way (Original Post) drray23 14 hrs ago OP
My concern is that we will FIND it the hard way yet not actually LEARN it the hard way. RockRaven 13 hrs ago #1
Refusal is an option David__77 13 hrs ago #2
Are we gonna get out of this mess in spite of ourselves or are we too deep in 💩? Deuxcents 13 hrs ago #3

RockRaven

(19,069 posts)
1. My concern is that we will FIND it the hard way yet not actually LEARN it the hard way.
Mon Mar 2, 2026, 10:04 PM
13 hrs ago

If past behavior of our electorate, our politicians, and our military is any guide, that may be the case.

Deuxcents

(26,420 posts)
3. Are we gonna get out of this mess in spite of ourselves or are we too deep in 💩?
Mon Mar 2, 2026, 10:16 PM
13 hrs ago

After watching Rachel tonight, I’m not feeling so good about our current situation

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