[GK3]

How easy is it to shoot down a small handheld DJI style drone from a fighter jet? I would imagine it would considerably difficult.

It is indeed very difficult. It is actually pretty difficult to even see this class of drone, and this drone is also probably flying pretty close to the ground, relatively speaking. However, these types of drones only have about a 5 mile range, which limits how much HIMARS spotting they can do. That said, a SU-25 or similar jet can easily destroy this class of drone with it's jet wash, if it can find it. Just fly by the drone at 400+ knots or so. The jet wash will send it tumbling out of control if it does not actually physically tear it apart. The shock wave is considerable. It is like hitting a wall moving toward you at 400 knots (slower the further away the "target" is). Just don't collide with the drone. You will dent your jet and might ingest some drone parts.

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The Kerch bridge is still pretty fucked up, even if Russia does have one lane of traffic and one of the railroad tracks operating. The rail track with the burned car still looks in pretty rough shape.
https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/statu...PNf2Cfi7ew

I'm beginning to think that the diesel tanker cars on the bridge were the #1 target of the truck bomb.  The burning diesel appears to have gotten down under the concrete ties (look at the very end of the video where there seems to be no gravel between the ties) and possibly compromised the span itself.  I'd have to think trains crossing that span on the undamaged track could cause the damaged concrete & rebar to fail.  There's the weight of the train and the vibrations of the movement shaking everything up.  Could a partial failure of the damaged half lead to structural failure of the whole span?

I suppose some sort of steel structure could be attached underneath to prevent this.  Basically a new steel span underneath, attached to the undamaged spans on either side of the damaged span(s).

I don't see what you see. I see warped rails with concrete ties that do not appear to be cracked it pretty well compacted ballast. The adjacent track does not appear to be damaged. I think the probability of significant structural damage is low. I am sure the bridge needs to be inspected, but I doubt it is structurally affected. Obviously, I can't know that.

If I am correct, the damage can be repaired in a couple of days, assuming the railway MOW workers didn't all get drafted. Whether Russia can do that I don't know. BNSF certainly could, especially if it was on the Transcon :-).

A corollary to this is that striking diesel tanker cars on a bridge could be done with a lower strength weapon and could cause similar problems on any bridge.  A survey (in Crimea) of train tracks that bridge a river within RPG range of a roadway might reveal some vulnerable points.

Ukraine has been sabotaging Russian controlled rail lines right along. However, shooting RPGs from a moving vehicle probably carries too much risk to the shooters. They are too visible. A command detonated mine contains more explosive and makes the operator much less conspicuous. Just keep driving. 

While the explosion could have been triggered from anywhere in the world, likely you'd want to know when was the right time.  I'd think they were following in a car.

Probably not following the truck. That has some obvious and very immediate problems :-). Perhaps leading the truck and banking on the fact the Russians couldn't react fast enough to stop everybody exiting the bridge. You really don't want to get caught. You know too much, and even if you don't talk, your known associates can be found. If the train was known to be where it was in advance (perhaps because they always stop there to wait for some kind of clearance), a GPS position could have been used to set off the bomb. Not saying that was how it was done, but actually being on the bridge at the same time has lots of down sides.

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https://twitter.com/OAlexanderDK/status/...O0Jb9QlBsg

https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/statu...ng-in-days

The link above points out many of the limitations associated with these kinds of systems. It is great Ukraine is getting these missiles, but their effects will be very limited. While Israel has had some luck defending their very small country against various missile threats, even they still have problems. Ukraine is a much bigger country.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

[GK3]

How easy is it to shoot down a small handheld DJI style drone from a fighter jet? I would imagine it would considerably difficult.

It is indeed very difficult. It is actually pretty difficult to even see this class of drone, and this drone is also probably flying pretty close to the ground, relatively speaking. However, these types of drones only have about a 5 mile range, which limits how much HIMARS spotting they can do. That said, a SU-25 or similar jet can easily destroy this class of drone with it's jet wash, if it can find it. Just fly by the drone at 400+ knots or so. The jet wash will send it tumbling out of control if it does not actually physically tear it apart. The shock wave is considerable. It is like hitting a wall moving toward you at 400 knots (slower the further away the "target" is). Just don't collide with the drone. You will dent your jet and might ingest some drone parts.

---

The Kerch bridge is still pretty fucked up, even if Russia does have one lane of traffic and one of the railroad tracks operating. The rail track with the burned car still looks in pretty rough shape.
https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/statu...PNf2Cfi7ew

I'm beginning to think that the diesel tanker cars on the bridge were the #1 target of the truck bomb.  The burning diesel appears to have gotten down under the concrete ties (look at the very end of the video where there seems to be no gravel between the ties) and possibly compromised the span itself.  I'd have to think trains crossing that span on the undamaged track could cause the damaged concrete & rebar to fail.  There's the weight of the train and the vibrations of the movement shaking everything up.  Could a partial failure of the damaged half lead to structural failure of the whole span?

I suppose some sort of steel structure could be attached underneath to prevent this.  Basically a new steel span underneath, attached to the undamaged spans on either side of the damaged span(s).

I don't see what you see. I see warped rails with concrete ties that do not appear to be cracked it pretty well compacted ballast. The adjacent track does not appear to be damaged. I think the probability of significant structural damage is low. I am sure the bridge needs to be inspected, but I doubt it is structurally affected. Obviously, I can't know that.

If I am correct, the damage can be repaired in a couple of days, assuming the railway MOW workers didn't all get drafted. Whether Russia can do that I don't know. BNSF certainly could, especially if it was on the Transcon :-).

A corollary to this is that striking diesel tanker cars on a bridge could be done with a lower strength weapon and could cause similar problems on any bridge.  A survey (in Crimea) of train tracks that bridge a river within RPG range of a roadway might reveal some vulnerable points.

Ukraine has been sabotaging Russian controlled rail lines right along. However, shooting RPGs from a moving vehicle probably carries too much risk to the shooters. They are too visible. A command detonated mine contains more explosive and makes the operator much less conspicuous. Just keep driving. 

While the explosion could have been triggered from anywhere in the world, likely you'd want to know when was the right time.  I'd think they were following in a car.

Probably not following the truck. That has some obvious and very immediate problems :-). Perhaps leading the truck and banking on the fact the Russians couldn't react fast enough to stop everybody exiting the bridge. You really don't want to get caught. You know too much, and even if you don't talk, your known associates can be found. If the train was known to be where it was in advance (perhaps because they always stop there to wait for some kind of clearance), a GPS position could have been used to set off the bomb. Not saying that was how it was done, but actually being on the bridge at the same time has lots of down sides.

---

https://twitter.com/OAlexanderDK/status/...O0Jb9QlBsg

https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/statu...ng-in-days

The link above points out many of the limitations associated with these kinds of systems. It is great Ukraine is getting these missiles, but their effects will be very limited. While Israel has had some luck defending their very small country against various missile threats, even they still have problems. Ukraine is a much bigger country.

Dead Men Tell No Tales