US UAV sure
on the video and Iraqi AF have received their in 2015.
They get 3+ CH-4B armed variant, 89th Attack sqn based to Kut, 2 hard points same payload as MQ-1B ofc clearly less capable as a MQ-9.
Chinese UAV/UCAV development
- Thread starter AssassinsMace
- Start date
- Status
US UAV sure
They get 3+ CH-4B armed variant, 89th Attack sqn based to Kut, 2 hard points same payload as MQ-1B ofc clearly less capable as a MQ-9.
Even if Chinese drones are twice more proned to accidents than American drones, Chinese drones are still the better bet. At 40X cheaper, Chinese drones can afford to be 39X more proned to accidents and still prevail. They are still the value for money items.
Besides, why the need for sophisticated American drones?... you don't need AntiAircraft canons to kill wild geese when a good hunting rifle will do.
I think we have to get this cleared up. The comment a couple pages back had an incorrect figure for the cost of a Predator drone. The cost is actually $4 million, not $40 million.
However, your point still stands, the Chinese drones can afford to be 3.9 times more accident-prone and still have the better value for money.
Mabye You remember the "ready for delivery lineup" of several J-10Bs + the strange partially painted J-20 on the left ... however there are even two more: first a well known WD-1K Wing Loong but also this "strange thing" we know on the GE-image since last year.
Deino
Deino
manqiangrexue
Brigadier
Well, it was $4 million for a Predator in 2009 dollars at US procurement cost and $1 million for a Wing Loong in 2011 dollars at foreign purchase price, so in the same year, the Predator is most likely at least 6 to 7 times the cost of Wing Loong for a foreign nation to purchase, but that doesn't mean that Wing Loong could be 5.9-6.9 times more accident prone and still be a better buy. It depends on how much value you put on reliability and the ability to avoid botched missions and the embarrassment that accompanies them. Though I'm not saying that US drones are more reliable at all. You also have to account for maintenance costs and the service life of the drone and I don't know which is more expensive or durable in either case.
Last edited:
asif iqbal
Lieutenant General
All UAV are accident prone the rate is always much higher than fighters
The rate is getting better but that is nature of drone warfare they crash
The rate is getting better but that is nature of drone warfare they crash
Hendrik_2000
Lieutenant General
So much for bragging the reliability of American made UAV. But those analyst never check the accident record of predator. They just open their mouth . Here is the real story
According to from The Washington Post, the Air Force had its worst year for drone crashes ever in 2015, as its Reaper drone was suddenly plagued by crashes.
Crashes caused $2 million in damage
The Post found that electrical failures have been causing the massive military drone to suddenly drop out of the sky. Although investigators have traced the problems back to issues with the drones' "starter-generator," the exact reason for the problems, and the solution, haven't been determined.
Meanwhile, the drones keep falling. The 20 large Air Force drones that crashed last year caused $2 million in damage, the Post reported, although no one was killed by a crash. Ultimately, 10 Reaper drones were damaged or destroyed, a figure that was at least twice as high as any other year, according to the Post. Half of the total drone crashes were not reported by the Department of Defense, despite a policy to disclose major mishaps.
The Air Force has already been publicly bemoaning a lack of funding and people. Last month, it to hire thousands of new personnel for its drone program.
Last edited:
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
It just goes to show that journalists are a bunch of elitist snobs. Look at how they're mocking actor Sean Penn for his interview debacle with drug warlord El Chapo, They're no different in this case. They left of a lot of facts. So arrogant to automatically believe that US drones suffer no problems for them to thumb their nose based on assumptions and prejudice on the quality of Chinese drones. If Iraqis ordered CH-4Bs back in March 2015 and videos of strikes started showing up in Dec. 2015, wouldn't there have to be some training involved before they can actually be used? But because videos didn't show up on the internet back in March, there had to have been problems with the drones themselves. Yeah the Iraqis just drove up to the Chinese Wal-Mart and put themselves a few CH-4Bs in their shopping cart and then drove home to take them out of their boxes with some assembly required, they just needed to read the instructions.
plawolf
Lieutenant General
With very few exceptions, professional journalists as a whole are very much like politicians.
I think it's been well established that for the vast majority, their opinions value less than the paper it's printed on when it comes to Chinese defense matters.
None of them have any connections or even original insight and are just a bunch of group thinking, circle jerking old boys club members in the pocket of special interests.
I think it's been well established that for the vast majority, their opinions value less than the paper it's printed on when it comes to Chinese defense matters.
None of them have any connections or even original insight and are just a bunch of group thinking, circle jerking old boys club members in the pocket of special interests.
- Status