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[Doomblade187]

Well, yes, other people are going to develop drones, but having ours for development aid is also a concern, I would say. I don't think weapons research departments would be opposed to some reverse engineering.

For the record, I oppose the sale, but just because I don't like the US being an international arms dealer.

[Trekkin]

Well, yes, other people are going to develop drones, but having ours for development aid is also a concern, I would say. I don't think weapons research departments would be opposed to some reverse engineering.

For the record, I oppose the sale, but just because I don't like the US being an international arms dealer.

To be totally fair, drones are still more commonly used as sensor platforms than weapons platforms. Drone strikes just get more attention. The Reaper is also neither unique in its ability to carry weapons nor particularly good at it; manned aircraft can still carry more munitions faster and through more extreme maneuvers. Drones can just fly longer by swapping pilots mid-flight, and there's some question over how useful that is to a hypothetical non-state actor.

Also, other countries have developed drones every bit as capable, albeit for different roles. Radio-controlled aircraft are not some super-secret technology, and the US no longer enjoys an insuperable technological advantage. There's not much worth reverse-engineering, really; we tend to believe too easily our own hype about how we're the best at killing people when we're really just the biggest.

[misko27]

we tend to believe too easily our own hype about how we're the best at killing people when we're really just the biggest.

There's something to be said for economies of scales, though. And as they say, Quantity has a quality all its own.

Granted, selling will not change that, but I'm on record as opposing the sale too; mostly because it'll make us look bad when the Saudis use it to blow up a kindergarten or something, or some ISIS fuck uses it to launch a terror attack. It's not about the weapons themselves, it's that the US name will then be associated with whatever they're used for.

If we're going to kill our reputation, I'd like it to be for some useful purpose, and not just to line someone's pockets.

[Trekkin]

If we're going to kill our reputation, I'd like it to be for some useful purpose, and not just to line someone's pockets.

What do you mean, "kill our reputation"? We have a reputation for doing exactly this sort of thing; we're the biggest international arms dealer in the world. If you're worried about the Saudis, why start now, when we've already sold them billions upon billions of dollars of weaponry?

[martinuzz]

Inb4 Putin buys a Reaper, sneakily fires it at his own troops from a general US-supported direction in Syria and blames US for attacking Russian troops with Reaper.

[Trekkin]

Inb4 domestic Neo-Nazis try to do the same thing; they'd get to indulge their sad obsession with all things quasi-military and keep claiming they're persecuted by a shadowy conspiracy. 

I say "try to" because reading the instruction manual would involve taking off their ubiquitous wraparound sunglasses and they're far too Manly(tm) for that.

[sluissa]

Inb4 Putin buys a Reaper, sneakily fires it at his own troops from a general US-supported direction in Syria and blames US for attacking Russian troops with Reaper.

He'd probably misspell the lettering on something making it obviously a fake propaganda video.

[Folly]

Naked gunman shot up a waffle house today. 3 dead, 1 injured. Gunman is currently on the run.

I'm hearing that the FBI revoked the shooter's gun licence last week, took his guns away, and gave them to his father, who immediately turned around and gave the guns back to his son. The system at work.

Now the mayor is calling for gun reform. Too soon.

[SaberToothTiger]

But all the criminals will just buy illegal guns!!!!!!111

[Reelya]

So the Trump administration is apparently considering using the President's wartime powers to prop up coal and nuclear plants that would otherwise shut down because they are obsolete and uneconomical.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/white-house-reportedly-exploring-yet-another-wartime-rule-to-help-coal-nuclear/

[MetalSlimeHunt]

No law of man is going to keep the doors of those coal plants open. At best, they'll be functionally shut down while pocketing tax dollars (salaried executives only, of course).

[Max™]

Anyone seen weather jews guy btw?

Well, yes, other people are going to develop drones, but having ours for development aid is also a concern, I would say. I don't think weapons research departments would be opposed to some reverse engineering.

For the record, I oppose the sale, but just because I don't like the US being an international arms dealer.

To be totally fair, drones are still more commonly used as sensor platforms than weapons platforms. Drone strikes just get more attention. The Reaper is also neither unique in its ability to carry weapons nor particularly good at it; manned aircraft can still carry more munitions faster and through more extreme maneuvers. Drones can just fly longer by swapping pilots mid-flight, and there's some question over how useful that is to a hypothetical non-state actor.

Also, other countries have developed drones every bit as capable, albeit for different roles. Radio-controlled aircraft are not some super-secret technology, and the US no longer enjoys an insuperable technological advantage. There's not much worth reverse-engineering, really; we tend to believe too easily our own hype about how we're the best at killing people when we're really just the biggest.

5th gen fighters are still awesome, and nukes means we still get the title of most dangerous police force in the world, sorry minneapolis PD.

[Reelya]

5th gen fighters are still awesome, and nukes means we still get the title of most dangerous police force in the world, sorry minneapolis PD.

5th generation fighters are overkill. F/A-18 Hornets were easily able to take down the alien's fighters once they lost their shields.

however on the nuke front, I think local PDs could totally get some tac-nukes to round out their arsenals and to boost the nuclear industry. Baltimore PD could get some Davey Crocketts for example.

[redwallzyl]

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/22/604748009/naked-gunman-kills-4-in-waffle-house-shooting

Not sure if this thread or WTF thread.

[Jopax]

Both actually, previous page in each case xD