this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2026
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You'll need a lot of those to protect a pipeline.
It’ll take a crazy number as a pipeline would be easily damaged by a VERY small (consumer size) drone.
1800km. With a radius of 3km, 300 would be needed.
That would cost about €5 billion.
https://suv.report/bundeswehr-will-500-bis-600-skyranger-30-fuer-6-bis-8-mrd-euro-beschaffen/
I would assume that's reasonable. Germany alone imports gas for €2 billion per month. Historically gas was half as expensive. So the system could pay off after a year. Including all of Europe, and reactivating old industry processes, that could be half a year or a quarter.
https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/Foreign-Trade/Tables/natural-gas-monthly.html
Can these things hit 100 or 1000 swarming micro drones? I really don’t know, but would bet that it’s got a limited amount of tracking and fire-rate. At say $1000 per drone including a couple pounds of high explosive charge, I doubt a single one of these can guard any zone.
200 rds per minute single shot rate, 1200 burst rate.
So firing takes 1/20 second, which leaves the rest of 1/3 second to aim at the next target. I don't know if that is realistic.
If the drones fly 360km/h that leaves 60 seconds to take them down. (https://3dprinting.com/news/chinese-students-custom-3d-printed-drone-sets-new-speed-record/)
There is an additional rocket launcher with 60 missiles.
So alltogether handling 100 drones should be possible.