Some more DIY drone defense; thermal optics / cameras added to HMG's and Autocannons to improve their ability to spot drones. Also some retro style circular anti aircraft sights.

Rheinmetall to supply Skynex 35mm AHEAD system to an "international customer"

https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/rheinmetall_ag/press/news/latest_news/index_36480.php

--->

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/germany-send-skynex-air-defence-systems-ukraine-handelsblatt-2022-12-09/

.....

This is something I think many of us had hoped for. Good for Ukraine, and for weapons nerds, a chance to see how the 35mm AHEAD performs. 

Here is a nice 20 page overview of the Skynex system:

https://www.rheinmetall.com/media/editor_media/rheinmetallag/events/medien_dvd_2022/air_defence_systems/Oerlikon_Skynex_Air_Defence_System_PBR_EN_B200e0721.pdf

Waiting for the Holosun dot version of the circular sights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt9E0zcFz8U

YouTube

Russian Su-25 Makes Emergency Landing After Landing Gear Fails -- Very Cool Footage

Russian Su-25 makes an emergency landing after its landing gear fails to deploy.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/suchomim...https://www.patreon.com/user?u=800325...

Someone is probably already trying with old K10-T  collimator sight from tank

We may get to see if the 105mm L7 cannon is still effective:

Twitter

Ukraine Weapons Tracker on Twitter

#Ukraine: The first video of Ukrainian soldiers training with recently delivered M-55S tanks, donated by Slovenia... https://t.co/kfJ9zokAVQ

Read more from Twitter

DIY 80mm Mini-MLRS on a Ford

Twitter

Ukraine Weapons Tracker on Twitter

#Ukraine: Another, improved "BM-8" light MRLS made by Ukrainian forces. A 12 tube launcher is mounted on a Ford F15... https://t.co/Z0xH74b8kH

Read more from Twitter

Switchblade 300 used to take out a camera surveillance tower:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/zipn77/previously_unseen_footage_of_the_destruction_of/

We haven't seen too many Switchblade videos, but this seems like a perfect application of it. 

Lack of videos from Switchblades might be down to low utility of the 300model , its a low yield assassination weapon clearly designed for GWOT , the much more potent 600 model has so far been orderd only in something like 10 units. Phoenix ghost trades lethality for endurance , but is still practically unseen on the battlefield. I havent seen any remains of these drones posted .Makes one wonder where 1500 of these drones ended up.

Thats possible. Although we've seen a ton of very effective quadcopter dropped 30mm VOGs, and the 300 has an equal or better payload then that. So theres clearly a high level of utility for anti personel drones like the quadcopters; I've largely stopped sharing them in this thread because they're pretty grisly. 

I've read that either the US or Aeroviorenment (the manufacturer) doesn't want video shared of the 300, which is why its more scarce. Whether thats true or not I'm not sure, but its plausible as the 300 videos we have seen have a distinct 'slaughter bot' killer robot vibe as the round closes with an individual man. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/vubqno/switchblade_usage_in_ukraine_compilation_unseen/

(skip the sound on this video, awful soundtrack)

But the conclusion of these videos tends to be a man running for their life as a murderous sky robot descends on them like a hawk on a woodland mouse - perhaps not the best marketing material for the company to have out in public.

Seriously doubt Ukrainians give a flying fuck about what Aeroviroment says or thinks about the videos, gore vids are literally the main propaganda tool they have. 

Still i consider Switchblade 300 a waste of resources, it packs a very small warhead that is in addition designed so that shrapnel is forward focused to minimize collateral, so if its not a direct hit its likely no hit at all. Also if you note all the kamikaze drones are noisy so you often see targets react in time to approaching drones. DIJ quadcopters on the other hand are reusable intelligence gathering platforms with rudimentary bomblet dropping capability and when moving slowly quite silent. 

Lancet drone attack on M777 vid from the M777 crew

https://t.me/uav_tech/10439

Interesting ATGM tube launched drone Ukrainians were working on around 2011

Another Ukrainan drone under development , mother drone carrying a kamikaze drone.