GarryB wrote:Stealth deployed drones to attack targets and perform SEAD attacks.... surprised the west didn't think of that first...
Not so different to MALD or SDB if you think about it... in fact they could pack them similarly to SDBs and a single Su-57 could maybe carry 32 of them or 16 + partial AAM load for self defence. Enough to overwhelm almost any target.
What I mean is, will they use a drone only attack, or will the drones support an Su-57 attack, or will they attack with Su-34s and Iskanders and drones and AS-11s from Su-57s as well as other platforms...
I guess it would depend on the target and how well it is defended and how close to the front line it is.
I see no reason why they would not be able to network all those devices and have them support each other. The drones can be decoys, loitering ammo or swarming mini CMs. Almost any piece of equipment is going to have two-way datalinks and the tactical management systems will get the automation / AI needed to coordinate the different elements in response to the development of the tactical situation in real time, that is the point of it all.