Hundreds of missiles and drones have been missed by Patriot defense systems, Saudi reports

[Smarana Mitra]

I certainly hope they aren't wasting Patriot missiles on $500 drones.

The missiles launched by yemen were not $500 dollar ones. The drones were also big enough and would cost significantly more than $500.

I don't think it's financial feasible to intercept cruise missile too. Unless you have a lot of money to burn.

What? You mean it is financially feasible to allow cruise missiles to destroy one's infrastructure but not financially feasible to stop them?

Nothing can stop saturation missile attack, we always know it. That's why China has the world most active missile program even back in 2013.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/china-has-worlds-most-active-missile-program-us-20130711-2prnr.html

Any country in the world also tries to overcome enemy defenses. This is nothing new. The problem here is that Patriot missiles are incapable of intercepting unsaturated attacks too.

The things is what you are talking about is priority, but what I am talking about is financial feasibility

Okay, let's imagine a fictitious scenario, let's say there is a Patriot Missile system protecting the White House. And there is an armed drone intruding an airspace of the White House. Now, it's imperative to shoot down the drone because it can do damage to White House or the President of the United States. Let's assume the interception rate is 1 : 1

Now, let's expand on the issue, on one side, you have 100 patriot missile system, and on the other, you have 100 armed drone, Now, would it become the same situation to shoot down the 100 drone using 100 Patriot system? Now, if we put in different variable, what if US only have 200 set of Patriot Missile? Now, you are in a cross road.

Scenario 1 : Shoot down all the armed drone using all 100 Patriot Missile system. However, doing so, you will half the whole number of Patriot System available to use to protect all other part of the country.

Scenario 2 : Do not use all the missile to shoot down some incoming drone, let White House take some hits. Say you shoot down 50 of those and let the other 50 go pass. You still have 3/4 of the stock protecting the rest of the country.

Scenario 3 : DO not shoot down any drone at all. So you can use the maximum number of missile system to protect the rest of the country.

Now, here's are the kicker, given a Patriot Missile Battery cost 3 times as much as a Tomahawk Missile, and 6 times as much as a Russian Missile, and 10 times as much as an unarmed Chinese Drone. For the price of 1 missile your enemy can make 3 cruise missile, 6 Russian missile or 10 Chinese Drone. So now the equation is once again changed. You have 200 patriot missile system protecting all of US. And your enemy have, let's just half the rate, shall we? 300 Tomahawk Missile or 600 Russian RD-55 Missile or 1000 Chinese drone. We all know one missile can at most intercept 1 Tomahawk Missile, 1 RD-55 Cruise Missile or 1 Chinese Drone. Now, is it financial possible to intercept all target? Hence is it financially feasible to intercept all the target?

It is always the case that interceptor missiles are more expensive than attack missiles as interception needs much higher technology and precision. But in this case, KSA had enough money to spend and the number of missiles to be intercept was limited. The patriot missiles are reloadable and could be reloaded once a missile is fired. So, within a few minutes, the number of missiles to defend the rest of the country will be back to normal with a reload.

 

[War Thunder]

I certainly hope they aren't wasting Patriot missiles on $500 drones.

Yeah except the same drone will go and blow some oil plant and cost millions of dollars if not billions.

 

[KungFuLee]

T
What? You mean it is financially feasible to allow cruise missiles to destroy one's infrastructure but not financially feasible to stop them?

Nope, I am torn whether to explain to you further with the explanation I had with another poster above (You can go look) I mean, I could have been typing all the statistical probability for nothing and into a troll.....

Read the post I made to above poster, and if you are for real wanted to know more, I will tell you more as to why.

 

[PakFactor]

I'm sure a basement built drone costing few hundred dollars wouldn't be worth shooting down every time and hard to detect due to low RCS.

But also not these systems are never perfect to begin with they often have gaps where drones or CMs can sneak through.

 

[Timur]

I certainly hope they aren't wasting Patriot missiles on $500 drones.

but I hope it!

what a fun would it be if they waste it on drones made out of fruit boxes

 

[Smarana Mitra]

but I hope it!

what a fun would it be if they waste it on drones made out of fruit boxes

Even college students make better drones. The drones in discussion are ones which can travel hundreds of kilometres.

 

[Timur]

Even college students make better drones. The drones in discussion are ones which can travel hundreds of kilometres.

Still a fun if it would be like this..