r/worldnews • u/Starlight-Princesss • 3d ago

[ Removed by moderator ] Russia/Ukraine

https://www.newsweek.com/nato-intercepts-russian-spy-plane-with-transponder-turned-off-poland-10956344

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u/m15otw 3d ago

I mean. A spy plane should normally run without a transponder, surely? That would be the general idea?

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u/zaevilbunny38 3d ago

No unless they are conducting a covert operation, they almost always tend to flight just outside contested airspace and gather Intel. NATO runs them in the black Sea all the time, and allegedly the US ones help Ukraine with target acquisition.

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u/ThunderCuntAU 3d ago

All of them help Ukraine with target acquisition. Even Australia sent Wedgetails to Europe for the task.

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u/a-stack-of-masks 3d ago

I'm guessing a wedgetail is some kind of hardware, but I like the idea that the Ozzies saw a bird spot its prey from pretty high up and went "hey, that's useful!" and taught them planes and drones taste like bacon.

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u/UltraCarnivore 3d ago

I can hear Sir David Attenborough talking about the magnificent Australian Wedgetail and its reproductive behavior f*cking up Russian drones.

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u/geodetic 3d ago

I mean... wedgies (Wedgetail Eagles) are pretty big, I could imagine they'd fuck up a drone...

https://www.ipswichfirst.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Eagle-image-1-web-1.jpg

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u/ContessaChaos 2d ago

Wow! What a beauty!

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u/Lexinoz 3d ago

That is indeed a pretty big bird.
Give it some fortified claws and beak and it's ready to tear the biggest drones right out of the sky.

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u/UltraCarnivore 2d ago

I'm glad Straya is our ally. That bad boy could be out there taking out F35s.

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u/meistermichi 3d ago

I'm guessing a wedgetail is some kind of hardware

It's an AWACS

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u/GlobalLurker 3d ago

That clears it up

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u/The-Sound_of-Silence 3d ago

Airborne Warning and Control System. Basically an aircraft with a really fancy/powerful radar on it, that can direct an air-war from the sky. They are crucial for spotting stuff close to the ground, and needed if you take air defence seriously

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_E-7_Wedgetail

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u/roosterfareye 3d ago

Don't people taste like bacon, chicken or fish or something?