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p1t1o -> RE: Swarming drones? (4/1/2021 4:49:30 PM)
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Have been working on a scenario recently using RAF aircraft armed with large numbers of SPEAR3's - in simulation they do display some degree of swarm-like behaviour even if it hasnt been specifically coded: launched in large numbers against numerous targets, going active they all seek out targets rather unpredictably, for better or for worse to be honest but it feels swarm-like as there is *some* degree of target switching and sharing (but sadly, if the targets are in a group, often not all of your chosen targets get picked, and some targets get overkilled). Add to that man-in-the-loop course control and retargeting and you get a pretty intelligent weapon if you use it right. I just wish it could pick an individual target out of a crowd sometimes, which it should be very capable of IRL.
There is also the SPEAR EW which is a OECM enabled active decoy, appearing as a full aircraft contact to the enemy, which can be man-in-the-loop flown with a range of several hundred nm. These can also be carried and emplyed in relatively large numbers.
Together they can be successfully employed against strong air defences. They are also packed with optical and EM sensors and can relay significant recon information, SPEAR EW especially has a good ESM kit.
SPEAR has a small warhead, but 40 of them can still sink a capital ship - and with 16 per aicraft possible, this is very doable, even very strong point defences become somewhat transparent when you can easily launch 96 weapons in a single 6-ship strike.
They arent particularly fast (400kts) and they fly at 300ft, but they are *much* smaller than the average ASM or cruise missile, they are not easy targets for sensors or point defences.
In form, these weapons resemble a hellfire missile with a tiny jet engine and pop out high aspect wings, essentially a very tiny cruise missile. In CMO you use them much like any other datalinked weapon, I think the swarm-like behaviour might be a coincidence due to the particular properties of the missile as simulated, but if these weapons arent equipped with some kind of swarm-like-ai in real life, I would be quite surprised.
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