| ▲ | mikewarot 2 hours ago | |
The problem is that the weapons systems were acquired during a time when they weren't actually expected to be used in large quantities. It's completely unsustainable to expend a salvo of missiles costing millions to take down drones or outer threats costing tens of thousands in the same quantity. We need weapons that can be turned out by the millions. During WW2, the US turned out 22 million proximity fuzes[1], which improved the effectiveness of existing weapons systems by a factor of almost 100:1. We don't need gold plated hangar queens, we need actual systems that can be churned out faster than they can be shot down. For example, what if we made .50 rounds, or even shotgun slugs with a proximity fuze built into them? Various configurations could explode and produce shrapnel, or a cloud of carbon fiber, when near a target, greatly increasing the utility of CWIZ or even shotguns. >Training a technician to hand-solder connections inside a missile seeker, work that cannot be automated because of the precision and variability involved, takes 18 to 24 months. What? We developed printed circuit techniques that worked with ceramics for the above mentioned VT Fuze in the 1940s. There shouldn't be any need to hand solder things in the present. Also, every part of every weapons system should have at least 2 separate suppliers. | ||