Drones and UAVs in T2K

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by LoneCollector1987

We now see how drone warfare has changed the face of warfare.

Could drone warfare also be possible in the Twilight 2000 timeline?

So, would it be possible for some to even envision drone warfare and how would it evolve, till the EMP would shut them down?

And would a comeback later possible?

As we know it today, or even a couple of years ago, probably not. As of 1997, IRL, the technology wasn't nearly as mature as it was at the start of the Ukraine War in 2022. Some modern combat drones use cellular phone networks and wifi for navigation and control- although that tech existed in 1997, networks were much, much smaller. Civilian drones weren't really a thing (unless you include RC aircraft). FPV control was just barely starting to move beyond science fiction.

That said, I don't see why a lot of mid-1990s drone technology wouldn't still work. Radio control would still be possible. Military radio equipment is usually pretty well shielded against EMP. Reconnaissance drones could be programmed to follow a pre-determined flightpath.

Originally Posted by LoneCollector1987

We also had the TOW and HOT missiles among others, so some drone control was already there.

As in wire-guided drones? IIRC, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used wire-guided drones in combat, but they aren't the preferred type. Wire-guidance certainly circumvents jamming, but such a control arrangement also severely limits the range of the drone, as it is essentially tethered to the operator's command unit by a length of copper wire. Also, the more strung-out the wire, the greater the chance it has to get snagged on things like trees, poles, buildings, etc. Once the wire is severed, the drone is essentially deaf, dumb, and blind. It probably crashes and, even if recovered, spare parts for repairs would be very scarce.

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