Hacker News Reader

Comment by causal | Hacker News Reader

A lot of comments decrying new weapons tech, but I think drone defense tech is particularly critical right now and going to save a lot of lives. Put another way, I don't think we would be against new clothing that made bullets less effective, even if it remains terrible that such clothing is needed.

Especially as AI becomes better and cheaper and suicide drones become more nimble and autonomous. If you have seen any of the horrifying footage out of Ukraine you will understand how badly we need more effective and cheaper drone defense as soon as possible.

View on HN

This will be vital tech after China swarms Taiwan with a massive drone invasion.

After??

Along the lines of Europe considering funding defence proportionally to the area of Ukraine chomped by Russia.

Yeah, I see this as ultimately a wash.

In Russia/Ukraine, drones have proven to be a very real threat to deal with (arguably also in Iraq).

What this means is wealthy nations will snatch up or recreate this and deploy it. That will stop smaller resistance forces from either defending or attacking. Depending on the nation in question this could both good or bad. Just like drones, guns, or tanks.

Effectively, this puts the status quo back to where it was before mass drone deployments.

Which, IMO, is better than having swarms of cheap bombs flying around.

Taken to the extreme, I also prefer the current status quo vs. everyone having a nuclear-tipped ICBM, and would welcome a countermeasure if cheap ICBMs became a thing.

Some nuclear weapons are light enough to be delivered by drone.

Drones could also be equipped with facial recognition and conventional weapons to support targeted removal of "undesirables."

Very much a "Be careful what you wish for" tech.

this back and forth has been going on since the dawn of industrialized asymmetric warfare. There is no reason to think that this is the finish line in that race.

Maybe Hi Tech weapon is impressive but that could lure us into false sense of security. Israel learnt the lesson the hard way in the October 7 attack.

That laser station will not last in Ukraine an hour and will be destroyed either by missiles or drone swarm.

What Ukraine have found a net launcher is effective and cheap solution against drones and may allow more use of tanks and heavy armor vehicles again in 2026. Then shotguns with a special ammunition is effective. Then against fiber drones a fence with moving wire works surprisingly good to cut the fiber.

you should tell it to ukrainians. because they are busy developing their own laser system https://thedefensepost.com/2025/04/15/ukraine-unveils-laser-...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com