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Emergency U.S. Drone Landing In Poland Prompted By Russian GPS Jamming, Experts Suspect
KNEWS ^ | 3/19/24 | David Wetzel

Posted on 03/19/2024 6:40:52 PM PDT by hardspunned

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To: Mr.Unique; aMorePerfectUnion
MQ-9s can't make emergency landings at bases that don't have the proper equipment. You need a launch and recovery element with a pilot for line of sight ops to land.

In the past, that was true. I think LRE pilots still land Reapers, but MCE Pilots are learning to land them as well. Maybe this MCE pilot was able to land it. The USAF is phasing out LRE pilots. They will all be absorbed into MCE.

41 posted on 03/19/2024 8:44:27 PM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF Captain & pilot. Both bitten by the aviation bug)
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To: delta7

Maybe we’ve been skimping too much on funding the MIC.

“Russia’s military spending in 2021 hit $66bn, says the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). But even then, the US was spending $801bn a year, and other NATO members about $363bn.”

Incredible, isn’t it?


42 posted on 03/19/2024 8:47:42 PM PDT by hardspunned (Former DC GOP globalist stooge)
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To: hardspunned
"conducting routine training operations "

Who believes this, LOL.

43 posted on 03/19/2024 8:49:06 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: Mr.Unique; aMorePerfectUnion
Ref my post 41, it’s also very possible the airport it landed at in Poland, might very well have USAF LRE pilots stationed there. I know Reaper LRE pilots are all over the world. The MCE pilots stay in the same place, but LRE pilots move around the world.
As far as I know, the enlisted pilots, are not allowed to fly any armed aircraft. Only commissioned officers can fire weapons. I think they are all Global Hawk “pilots.” From what I can figure, Global Hawk, is autonomous and all the enlisted pilots do, is monitor the aircraft. I don’t know if Reapers can fly autonomously, but the pilot I know, says he flies the aircraft from start to finish.
44 posted on 03/19/2024 9:19:17 PM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF Captain & pilot. Both bitten by the aviation bug)
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To: Drago
The manufacturer says otherwise:


45 posted on 03/19/2024 9:28:06 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: logi_cal869

OK, got it. Autonomous until the GPS goes down then the RPV pilot takes over to land it at an airbase/airport in Poland. 😉 I think we are talking semantics...the Reaper can autonomously “loiter”/surveil on it’s own & enlisted AF personnel/”pilots” can do surveillance missions, but when a Reaper is armed and deploys a Hellfire missile or other munition it is under the control of an AF officer RPV pilot....no autonomous offensive strikes. (i.e. “Skynet” not active yet 🙂).

BTW: some enlisted RPV pilots are getting the chance at an “upgrade”:

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-enlisted-drone-pilot/


46 posted on 03/19/2024 10:26:54 PM PDT by Drago
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To: hardspunned

Russians have had GPS jamming systems almost since its inception. The real problem with some GPS platforms like a Reaper or Global Hawk is to overcome the relative Jammer-to-GPS satellite signal. I don’t see any reason why a high gain targetable jammer antenna/system could not saturate out the input RF amps on a drone and force it into its default mode (land somewhere friendly, for instance). Common problem ...power/aperture.


47 posted on 03/19/2024 10:49:55 PM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Alberta's Child

“... a bunch of rowdy, unarmed hooligans from invading the U.S. Capitol ..”
STFU hoser


48 posted on 03/20/2024 1:25:46 AM PDT by A strike (There is no tyranny that cannot be justified by 'climate change')
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To: Mr.Unique

Not quite sure, or as a matter of fact actually don’t believe that to be true.


49 posted on 03/20/2024 1:33:59 AM PDT by A strike (There is no tyranny that cannot be justified by 'climate change')
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To: A strike
Uh — OK.

Buffalo Horn Guy is my hero … but how else would you describe those people? LOL.

50 posted on 03/20/2024 3:32:26 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (If something in government doesn’t make sense, you can be sure it makes dollars.)
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To: Alberta's Child

I describe them as patriots,
hooligan invaders is how deepState/MSM/democrat police describe them.


51 posted on 03/20/2024 3:41:43 AM PDT by A strike (There is no tyranny that cannot be justified by 'climate change')
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To: mikey_hates_everything

The landing was going to be announced, it was publicly witnessed. No telling why, aircraft experience forced landings for a lot of reasons. I suspect that the drone has sufficient INS capability to “get home” without GPS, and is probably programmed to do so. There may have been a communications link hiccup, perhaps due to jamming. That the Russians are willing to show their cards by jamming, even with known capabilities, seems to bespeak panic, or fear on their part.

You are correct in principle, however. Never respond to jamming in a manner that the enemy can observe, if you have other options. Maybe the jamming was ineffective, and this is a ploy to encourage the Russians to keep it up. Two or more can play at deception. “Oh please don’t, Brer Ivan, don’t throw me in dat dar briar patch!”.


52 posted on 03/20/2024 3:57:25 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead!)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Given some of the ridiculous DoD security precautions I’ve had to deal with, it makes no sense as to why they would even acknowledge something like this.


53 posted on 03/20/2024 4:07:21 AM PDT by mikey_hates_everything
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To: hardspunned

If true maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. At least we can work on how to counter this jamming before WW III.


54 posted on 03/20/2024 4:10:29 AM PDT by McGruff (Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up - Barack Obama)
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To: EnderWiggin1970

There you go again, doubting the Pentagon. It’s obvious NATO was training personnel on how to land jammed drones.


55 posted on 03/20/2024 5:28:51 AM PDT by hardspunned (Former DC GOP globalist stooge)
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To: PGR88

Remotely piloted drone.

As opposed to the AI version.


56 posted on 03/20/2024 11:35:26 AM PDT by ro_dreaming (Who knew "Idiocracy", "1984", "Enemy of the State", and "Person of Interest" would be non-fiction?)
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To: A strike

It is 100% true.


57 posted on 03/20/2024 7:12:40 PM PDT by Mr.Unique (My boss wants me to sign up for a 401K. No way I'm running that far! )
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To: Mark17

Further reading indicates the Reaper landed at Mirosławiec, which is where it took off. There was an LRE there.

If the Reaper goes lost link, it goes into a preprogrammed profile, which should be a turn back to base, until link is reestablishes and then can RTB.


58 posted on 03/20/2024 7:18:24 PM PDT by Mr.Unique (My boss wants me to sign up for a 401K. No way I'm running that far! )
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To: Mr.Unique

So you say.

How is it that Iran was able to intercept and land a top secret U.S. drone?


59 posted on 03/20/2024 9:36:31 PM PDT by A strike (There is no tyranny that cannot be justified by 'climate change')
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To: Mr.Unique
If the Reaper goes lost link, it goes into a preprogrammed profile, which should be a turn back to base, until link is reestablishes and then can RTB.

I rather figured that is what happened. I know there are LRE pilots all over the world. My friend is in the far east right now, though he might not even know where the MCE pilot is.

60 posted on 03/20/2024 10:19:30 PM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF Captain & pilot. Both bitten by the aviation bug)
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