[HN Gopher] Knockoff Iranian drone sold on Alibaba was meant for...
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       Knockoff Iranian drone sold on Alibaba was meant for war, documents
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       Author : rntn
       Score  : 32 points
       Date   : 2024-01-19 21:32 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.vice.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.vice.com)
        
       | kube-system wrote:
       | I never fail to be amazed by the shameless business culture in
       | China.
       | 
       | > "Too many people want to buy it, it's not a good thing for us,"
       | 
       | > "We are afraid that Alibaba platform will be frozen if Alibaba
       | knows that it's a weapon."
       | 
       | > "This item is customized for one big client in UKR [Ukraine],"
       | 
       | > "Our government don't allow us to sell to countries involved in
       | war,"
       | 
       | What do they possibly think they're gaining by volunteering this
       | information?
        
         | ganeshkrishnan wrote:
         | No chance in hell it's going to Ukraine. If Russia loses, there
         | is a nuclear powered chaotic nation right next to China which
         | will be it's worst nightmare. There is less than zero
         | possibility of China sending anything to Ukraine.
         | 
         | These statements are just to mislead the public into thinking
         | they are supporting ukraine.
        
           | kube-system wrote:
           | I don't think some random Alibaba seller gives a crap about
           | foreign policy over their bottom line.
        
             | drekipus wrote:
             | There is a large amount of nationalism within China.
             | 
             | To the point where they will destroy products, livestock,
             | equipment, etc; that would be thought to be for China's
             | "enemies" ie: Japan.
             | 
             | It'll just take a moment for the message to get out, and
             | then they'll be rallied to a new hatred, if they need be.
        
           | Muromec wrote:
           | If russia can buy American chips and Dutch lithography
           | machines through 3rd countries, sure Ukraine can get some
           | drone on ali.
           | 
           | Suddenly some farmers in * get obscure country from the list
           | * will decide it's a good idea to deliver pesticides from the
           | air because reasons. For sure supplier will see right through
           | it and will care about plausible deniability first.
           | 
           | The whole titanium cia story happens more often than it
           | doesn't
        
           | gweinberg wrote:
           | I think there is already a nuclear powered chaotic nation
           | right next to China. Why would Russia be more dangerous if
           | they lose than if they win?
        
         | anigbrowl wrote:
         | They probably aren't familiar with US journalistic practices
         | about background, on/off record etc. Prudence would dictate
         | more circumspection, but I prefer frankness to the obfuscatory
         | nonsense that US PR spokespersons foist on the public, with the
         | help of journalists who uncritically repeat it.
        
       | 0cf8612b2e1e wrote:
       | Curious what separates a military drone vs a drone used in war.
       | Surely most of the improved flight capabilities would also be
       | useful to consumers who just want to tool around on the weekends.
       | 
       | How long before these military specs filter into the consumer
       | market?
        
         | Muromec wrote:
         | Where do you think those FPV kill-drones are coming from now?
        
         | kube-system wrote:
         | One difference between suicide drones and hobbyist drones is
         | the design lifetime.
         | 
         | IIRC some of the gasoline engines used on suicide drones are
         | built with a peculiar design that is powerful but wears out in
         | just a matter of minutes. But that's acceptable because it'll
         | still outlast the lifetime of the vehicle.
         | 
         | Another difference is payload configuration.
        
         | vdaea wrote:
         | "PlayStation 2 a Weapons Development Platform?"
         | 
         | https://games.slashdot.org/story/00/04/16/1953243/ps2-a-weap...
        
         | surfingdino wrote:
         | You don't want military drones for consumer applications.
         | Consumer drones are designed to last the length of warranty + 1
         | day. Military drones are designed to last long enough to
         | deliver their cargo or provide essential intel. Because of
         | their limited lifespan, some of them are made of cardboard
         | https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/09/13/cardboard-drone-v...
        
         | dist-epoch wrote:
         | What Ukraine wants right now is DJIs, not Bayraktars.
         | 
         | So it's a bit of reverse, consumer drone tech is superior to
         | military tech when you take price and availability into
         | account.
        
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