• MadPsyentist@lemmy.nz
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    3 days ago

    “have complex navigational capabilities including methods to circumvent jamming, and some can be guided or steered.”

    At what point does a drone become a missile and a missile become a drone? Is it a specific set of requierments or just what ever Jimmy the journalist wants to say on the day?

    • Einskjaldi@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It’s never been a real word. Anything including the original ww2 missiles could be called a drone. Missiles are rockets with a warhead, but then you have cruise missiles that are basically completely different in every way. It’s just a category.

    • boydster@sh.itjust.works
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      3 days ago

      I think missiles are ballistic, whereas drones are usually maneuverable

      Edit: which I guess means a drone that’s been shot down effectively becomes a missile (or a bunch of tiny missiles)

      • ltxrtquq@lemmy.ml
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        3 days ago

        I don’t know about hover, there are drones that are basically small planes. My definition would probably include landing and being reused.

        • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
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          3 days ago

          Most of those drones definitely cannot land. Even some of the reusable drones are bad at landing and are basically caught in a net instead.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugiFhRJzo5Y

          The difference is that missiles used jet propulsion and don’t use wings to generate lift. Drones typically used propellers and wings to fly. Now we also have drones with jet propulsion so the main difference is that drones use wings, missiles do not.