Polish defense manufacturer WB Group has unveiled Gladius 2, a new loitering munition built for a reduced radar and heat signature and powered by a turbojet engine for a fast run into the target area. The company also refers to

The Polish military is truly a behemoth, these coupled with Poland’s growing AH64E fleet make the idea of suppressing or even predicting the regional location of Polish deep strike capability a hopeless task, even in a scenario where Poland has been significantly degraded in defensive capability from preceding strikes these two tools alone in the hands of competent military leadership could gut any real traditional landwar threat to Poland in the throat… and no matter how good your intelligence is on Poland do you really know which shipping crates are the danger crates?

On the otherhand seeing where an Apache is one day doesn’t tell you much about where it will be the next unlike traditional strike systems… which makes russian/iranian style mass flying bomb attacks a dubious proposition even with endless planning and subterfuge.

Traditional static airbases are highly vulnerable to drones like this which is where the synergy comes in with helicopters that can network and command them while operating out of adhoc improvised positions.

note the UK military has this same strength as well, so does India…

  • doritoshave9sides@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    4 days ago

    Defo not a war thunder leaker but: the real reason you really dont want hot jet engines is because of cheap heat seaking missiles launchable from anything including infantry units. Hence why drones use propeller engines sometimes insulated to be invisible to infrared. GG poland

    • supersquirrel@lemmy.caOPEnglish
      7·
      4 days ago

      the real reason you really dont want hot jet engines is because of cheap heat seaking missiles launchable from anything including infantry units

      That is precisely why this drone’s carefully designed engine shrouds that are also low radar profile are such a sophisticated design.

      Look at the engine shrouds on modern low radar profile low infared signature jet aircraft, it is the same idea and it makes the problem you think is simple into a much more complicated problem.

      A missile needs to really see into the blazing core of the jet cone to be decisively effective which is one of the reasons the Su-57’s widely spaced jet turbines visible from a dizzying array of angles paired with its low radar profile design make two comical brothers who hate each other.

      https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a22341/f-35-stealth-infrared/

      edit I believe the engine is bolted to the outside for display purposes but maybe I am wrong