[Rockingham]

Programming GPS coordinates and launching individual drones may be easy enough, yet the drones, carriers, and launch systems no doubt also require training to be correctly maintained, prepped, fueled, fused, and stationed and the explosive payloads not mishandled. Even under your scenario, my guess is that for every dozen Ivan and Boris who get trained, there will have to be at least two or three Mohammads who in the first run give the necessary training and supervision.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainians and US defense suppliers already have a good handle on how to counter the two current models of Shahed and any likely successors. Low, slow, noisy, and cheaply made has them vulnerable to being shot down with standard infantry and antiaircraft weapons and misdirected with electronic countermeasures, while a number of light, palletized, truck borne US Anti UAV Defense systems called Vampire are already in Ukrainian hands and being put to use.

The result is that the Shahed has its effectiveness against defended military targets so the Russians turned to attacks on cities and civilian infrastructure. As the Ukrainians get more Vampire defense systems in place and a supply of its newer, longer range model of missiles, even Ukraine's area targets will be defended against Shaheds and similar weapons.

My guess is that the Shaheds will have lost much of their effectiveness long before Russian language manuals and a full contingent of Russian trainers are available. The US and NATO model of organizational speed and nimbleness in weapons innovation has considerable advantage over stodgier Russian and Iranian capabilities and practices.

[ganeemead]

All available evidence indicates that nato and hohos have absolutely no way to deal with even the oldest/simplestof these new weapons. One more major raid like last night and hohos will be in the stone age.

Isn't that something? The mighty nato war machine and the gallant nazi hohos humbled and brought to grief and justice by toy airplanes...