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America’s drone 9/11 is coming — and just like on 9/11, we aren’t ready

Technology
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  • This month, Ukraine pulled off its own Pearl Harbor, decimating more than 40 of Russia’s strategic bombers worth more than $7 billion. This despite lacking an air force.

    The attack was a masterclass in asymmetric warfare. It involved 117 explosive drones, hidden inside wooden sheds, quietly trucked to remote Russian bases from Siberia and the Arctic, then unleashed in coordinated waves.

    Flash back to early December 2024, when strange lights hovered over New Jersey skies. Residents flooded 911 and social media with reports. But what followed was worse: government paralysis.

    No one — not the Federal Aviation Administration, not the FBI, not Gov. Phil Murphy (D) — could say what the drones were, how many there were or where they came from. Instead, they gaslit the public, blaming the sightings on helicopters and meteors.

    We have seen this movie before, most recently in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, when government obfuscation and lack of coordination between local, state and federal agencies generated confusion, outrage and chaos. After the New Jersey drone debacle, we should all be sounding alarm bells about our unpreparedness in the face of this new threat.

    Complacency comes in a variety of forms — misplaced hope, denial, fatalism — but the results are always the same. It leaves you flat-footed in the face of imminent threats. It prevents you from doing what needs to be done to avoid a worst-case outcome.

    The antidote to complacency is vigilance, that is, having a plan for what we will do if suicide drone attacks start.

    Such a plan would start by breaking down the walls between silos such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, FAA, FBI and others within the federal government itself. It would hard-wire the broken connections with law enforcement at the state and local level. It would establish accountability: Who is going to keep watch around the clock, assess the threat in real time and notify everyone with a need to know?

    The agency with the mandate to build this kind of nationwide, coordinated response is FEMA. That’s what makes the president’s proposal to dismantle it not just misguided, but dangerous. Now more than ever, we need a powerful, professional FEMA to unify efforts across government and industry to confront the asymmetric threats of this new era.

    It is the responsibility of the federal government to envision and prepare for this worst-case scenario. Innovative solutions are needed, whether to create an impenetrable dome, new jamming technology or high-tech weaponry to shoot drones out of the sky. Only businesses and certain parts of the military have this kind of know-how, and only FEMA can build the public-private ventures we will need to get it done.

    Good thing the American public is in the capable, steady hands of the Trump administration. The drone terror attack plan will no doubt be leaked from a top secret group chat soon and blow everyone away with its brilliance.

    The real fun will be watching Trump try to blame Biden and probably even Hillary for the security failure. That’s the only card he knows how to play. Traitors everywhere pretending the emperor still has clothes on.

    Just another day in Dumbfuckistan America.

  • As if I weren't already on enough watch lists:

    Consumer drones aren't conducive to "a 9-11". They just can't carry enough explosives. A terrorist attack using drones will be isolated attacks on public gatherings and likely not even put a dent in the M-4 tax we pay every fucking day.

    Also: Defense against drones actually isn't all that hard from a military and hardpoint standpoint and mostly uses existing tech. The same mic arrays that installations use to triangulate gunfire? Picking up drone motors is of comparable difficulty and gives a pretty fast angle to point the baby phalanx (or net guns) at. Would be HORRIBLE in an area dense with civilians but would protect anything that "we" actually care about (military resources and whichever politicians trump likes this week). Chaining the net gun/tiny gatling gun to the sensors with a human in the loop so it doesn't violate any treaties covers that.

    The reason they are so ridiculously effective in Ukraine are because Russians have horrifically bad opsec and tend to leave armored vehicle hatches open (even at bases) and have sprawling unfortified trench lines that are only designed to keep infantry out.

    I think you are misunderstanding the point. Swap out 9-11 moment with "watershed moment".

    A drone doesn't need to be able to carry more than 500-1000g to be an incredibly effective tool of war, and it absolutely was, basically, consumer grade drones that Ukraine used.

    And all in all, probably, the whole operation cost less than a single tomahawk cruise missile.

    I made this point that the article is making here, a few months ago. The US military industrial complex has completely missed the mark on where modern warfare is going., and the US has spent trillions to build a system that can be challenged for billions.

  • This month, Ukraine pulled off its own Pearl Harbor, decimating more than 40 of Russia’s strategic bombers worth more than $7 billion. This despite lacking an air force.

    The attack was a masterclass in asymmetric warfare. It involved 117 explosive drones, hidden inside wooden sheds, quietly trucked to remote Russian bases from Siberia and the Arctic, then unleashed in coordinated waves.

    Flash back to early December 2024, when strange lights hovered over New Jersey skies. Residents flooded 911 and social media with reports. But what followed was worse: government paralysis.

    No one — not the Federal Aviation Administration, not the FBI, not Gov. Phil Murphy (D) — could say what the drones were, how many there were or where they came from. Instead, they gaslit the public, blaming the sightings on helicopters and meteors.

    We have seen this movie before, most recently in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, when government obfuscation and lack of coordination between local, state and federal agencies generated confusion, outrage and chaos. After the New Jersey drone debacle, we should all be sounding alarm bells about our unpreparedness in the face of this new threat.

    Complacency comes in a variety of forms — misplaced hope, denial, fatalism — but the results are always the same. It leaves you flat-footed in the face of imminent threats. It prevents you from doing what needs to be done to avoid a worst-case outcome.

    The antidote to complacency is vigilance, that is, having a plan for what we will do if suicide drone attacks start.

    Such a plan would start by breaking down the walls between silos such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, FAA, FBI and others within the federal government itself. It would hard-wire the broken connections with law enforcement at the state and local level. It would establish accountability: Who is going to keep watch around the clock, assess the threat in real time and notify everyone with a need to know?

    The agency with the mandate to build this kind of nationwide, coordinated response is FEMA. That’s what makes the president’s proposal to dismantle it not just misguided, but dangerous. Now more than ever, we need a powerful, professional FEMA to unify efforts across government and industry to confront the asymmetric threats of this new era.

    It is the responsibility of the federal government to envision and prepare for this worst-case scenario. Innovative solutions are needed, whether to create an impenetrable dome, new jamming technology or high-tech weaponry to shoot drones out of the sky. Only businesses and certain parts of the military have this kind of know-how, and only FEMA can build the public-private ventures we will need to get it done.

    I fear the day drones are used in the US to cause harm. My job utilizes them almost every day, and I imagine they would be banned on a civilian level faster than we’ve ever seen the government function.

  • The US will never cease using 9/11 to push for expansion of the police state, and as an excuse to throw more money at private arms manufacturers. These demons are salivating at the prospect of another major attack, because they want to sell more weapons.

    Temptations, Ghorman-style, I’m thinking.

  • This month, Ukraine pulled off its own Pearl Harbor, decimating more than 40 of Russia’s strategic bombers worth more than $7 billion. This despite lacking an air force.

    The attack was a masterclass in asymmetric warfare. It involved 117 explosive drones, hidden inside wooden sheds, quietly trucked to remote Russian bases from Siberia and the Arctic, then unleashed in coordinated waves.

    Flash back to early December 2024, when strange lights hovered over New Jersey skies. Residents flooded 911 and social media with reports. But what followed was worse: government paralysis.

    No one — not the Federal Aviation Administration, not the FBI, not Gov. Phil Murphy (D) — could say what the drones were, how many there were or where they came from. Instead, they gaslit the public, blaming the sightings on helicopters and meteors.

    We have seen this movie before, most recently in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, when government obfuscation and lack of coordination between local, state and federal agencies generated confusion, outrage and chaos. After the New Jersey drone debacle, we should all be sounding alarm bells about our unpreparedness in the face of this new threat.

    Complacency comes in a variety of forms — misplaced hope, denial, fatalism — but the results are always the same. It leaves you flat-footed in the face of imminent threats. It prevents you from doing what needs to be done to avoid a worst-case outcome.

    The antidote to complacency is vigilance, that is, having a plan for what we will do if suicide drone attacks start.

    Such a plan would start by breaking down the walls between silos such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, FAA, FBI and others within the federal government itself. It would hard-wire the broken connections with law enforcement at the state and local level. It would establish accountability: Who is going to keep watch around the clock, assess the threat in real time and notify everyone with a need to know?

    The agency with the mandate to build this kind of nationwide, coordinated response is FEMA. That’s what makes the president’s proposal to dismantle it not just misguided, but dangerous. Now more than ever, we need a powerful, professional FEMA to unify efforts across government and industry to confront the asymmetric threats of this new era.

    It is the responsibility of the federal government to envision and prepare for this worst-case scenario. Innovative solutions are needed, whether to create an impenetrable dome, new jamming technology or high-tech weaponry to shoot drones out of the sky. Only businesses and certain parts of the military have this kind of know-how, and only FEMA can build the public-private ventures we will need to get it done.

    This feels like an excuse to strengthen the security state or prepare Americans for either a flase flag or known terrorist attack that will be used to justify war. Probably with Iran. Perhaps it is my innate distrust but I am far more worried about how my government might use drones against me than any foreign government.

  • This month, Ukraine pulled off its own Pearl Harbor, decimating more than 40 of Russia’s strategic bombers worth more than $7 billion. This despite lacking an air force.

    The attack was a masterclass in asymmetric warfare. It involved 117 explosive drones, hidden inside wooden sheds, quietly trucked to remote Russian bases from Siberia and the Arctic, then unleashed in coordinated waves.

    Flash back to early December 2024, when strange lights hovered over New Jersey skies. Residents flooded 911 and social media with reports. But what followed was worse: government paralysis.

    No one — not the Federal Aviation Administration, not the FBI, not Gov. Phil Murphy (D) — could say what the drones were, how many there were or where they came from. Instead, they gaslit the public, blaming the sightings on helicopters and meteors.

    We have seen this movie before, most recently in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, when government obfuscation and lack of coordination between local, state and federal agencies generated confusion, outrage and chaos. After the New Jersey drone debacle, we should all be sounding alarm bells about our unpreparedness in the face of this new threat.

    Complacency comes in a variety of forms — misplaced hope, denial, fatalism — but the results are always the same. It leaves you flat-footed in the face of imminent threats. It prevents you from doing what needs to be done to avoid a worst-case outcome.

    The antidote to complacency is vigilance, that is, having a plan for what we will do if suicide drone attacks start.

    Such a plan would start by breaking down the walls between silos such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, FAA, FBI and others within the federal government itself. It would hard-wire the broken connections with law enforcement at the state and local level. It would establish accountability: Who is going to keep watch around the clock, assess the threat in real time and notify everyone with a need to know?

    The agency with the mandate to build this kind of nationwide, coordinated response is FEMA. That’s what makes the president’s proposal to dismantle it not just misguided, but dangerous. Now more than ever, we need a powerful, professional FEMA to unify efforts across government and industry to confront the asymmetric threats of this new era.

    It is the responsibility of the federal government to envision and prepare for this worst-case scenario. Innovative solutions are needed, whether to create an impenetrable dome, new jamming technology or high-tech weaponry to shoot drones out of the sky. Only businesses and certain parts of the military have this kind of know-how, and only FEMA can build the public-private ventures we will need to get it done.

    I’m hearing that we clearly need to arm everyone over the age of 11 with personal carry, guided surface-to-air missiles. It’s the only logical conclusion.

  • This month, Ukraine pulled off its own Pearl Harbor, decimating more than 40 of Russia’s strategic bombers worth more than $7 billion. This despite lacking an air force.

    The attack was a masterclass in asymmetric warfare. It involved 117 explosive drones, hidden inside wooden sheds, quietly trucked to remote Russian bases from Siberia and the Arctic, then unleashed in coordinated waves.

    Flash back to early December 2024, when strange lights hovered over New Jersey skies. Residents flooded 911 and social media with reports. But what followed was worse: government paralysis.

    No one — not the Federal Aviation Administration, not the FBI, not Gov. Phil Murphy (D) — could say what the drones were, how many there were or where they came from. Instead, they gaslit the public, blaming the sightings on helicopters and meteors.

    We have seen this movie before, most recently in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, when government obfuscation and lack of coordination between local, state and federal agencies generated confusion, outrage and chaos. After the New Jersey drone debacle, we should all be sounding alarm bells about our unpreparedness in the face of this new threat.

    Complacency comes in a variety of forms — misplaced hope, denial, fatalism — but the results are always the same. It leaves you flat-footed in the face of imminent threats. It prevents you from doing what needs to be done to avoid a worst-case outcome.

    The antidote to complacency is vigilance, that is, having a plan for what we will do if suicide drone attacks start.

    Such a plan would start by breaking down the walls between silos such as the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, FAA, FBI and others within the federal government itself. It would hard-wire the broken connections with law enforcement at the state and local level. It would establish accountability: Who is going to keep watch around the clock, assess the threat in real time and notify everyone with a need to know?

    The agency with the mandate to build this kind of nationwide, coordinated response is FEMA. That’s what makes the president’s proposal to dismantle it not just misguided, but dangerous. Now more than ever, we need a powerful, professional FEMA to unify efforts across government and industry to confront the asymmetric threats of this new era.

    It is the responsibility of the federal government to envision and prepare for this worst-case scenario. Innovative solutions are needed, whether to create an impenetrable dome, new jamming technology or high-tech weaponry to shoot drones out of the sky. Only businesses and certain parts of the military have this kind of know-how, and only FEMA can build the public-private ventures we will need to get it done.

    I don't think the current government is capable or interested in making sound decisions. I don't think the public is capable of electing a better government. For profit orgs don't have the public's best interest as a priority. So this is bad

  • I am much more concerned about the military itself attacking the U.S. population.

    Who says they won't use drones and blame it on another country?

  • This feels like an excuse to strengthen the security state or prepare Americans for either a flase flag or known terrorist attack that will be used to justify war. Probably with Iran. Perhaps it is my innate distrust but I am far more worried about how my government might use drones against me than any foreign government.

    You're preaching to the choir

  • I’m hearing that we clearly need to arm everyone over the age of 11 with personal carry, guided surface-to-air missiles. It’s the only logical conclusion.

    Why over 11?

  • Counterpoint: a few small drones with a small amount of explosives targeting civilians over July 4th in every state capital would tank the us economy.

    Or be the public motivation somebody is looking for to join in a war he totally doesn't want to join even though he just handed a bunch of tech bros military seniority roles...

  • Why over 11?

    They’re large enough to handle it

  • You're preaching to the choir

    I honestly was not aware

  • Who says they won't use drones and blame it on another country?

    Or... Use drones and just take full credit. No need for obfuscation with our current media.

  • This feels like an excuse to strengthen the security state or prepare Americans for either a flase flag or known terrorist attack that will be used to justify war. Probably with Iran. Perhaps it is my innate distrust but I am far more worried about how my government might use drones against me than any foreign government.

    These are my current fears as well.

  • I think you are misunderstanding the point. Swap out 9-11 moment with "watershed moment".

    A drone doesn't need to be able to carry more than 500-1000g to be an incredibly effective tool of war, and it absolutely was, basically, consumer grade drones that Ukraine used.

    And all in all, probably, the whole operation cost less than a single tomahawk cruise missile.

    I made this point that the article is making here, a few months ago. The US military industrial complex has completely missed the mark on where modern warfare is going., and the US has spent trillions to build a system that can be challenged for billions.

    Because the trillions is the point.. Not security.

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    Forgive me for not explaining better. Here are the terms potentially needing explanation. Provisioning in this case is initial system setup, the kind of stuff you would do manually after a fresh install, but usually implies a regimented and repeatable process. Virtual Machine (VM) snapshots are like a save state in a game, and are often used to reset a virtual machine to a particular known-working condition. Preboot Execution Environment (PXE, aka ‘network boot’) is a network adapter feature that lets you boot a physical machine from a hosted network image rather than the usual installation on locally attached storage. It’s probably tucked away in your BIOS settings, but many computers have the feature since it’s a common requirement in commercial deployments. As with the VM snapshot described above, a PXE image is typically a known-working state that resets on each boot. Non-virtualized means not using hardware virtualization, and I meant specifically not running inside a virtual machine. Local-only means without a network or just not booting from a network-hosted image. Telemetry refers to data collecting functionality. Most software has it. Windows has a lot. Telemetry isn’t necessarily bad since it can, for example, help reveal and resolve bugs and usability problems, but it is easily (and has often been) abused by data-hungry corporations like MS, so disabling it is an advisable precaution. MS = Microsoft OSS = Open Source Software Group policies are administrative settings in Windows that control standards (for stuff like security, power management, licensing, file system and settings access, etc.) for user groups on a machine or network. Most users stick with the defaults but you can edit these yourself for a greater degree of control. Docker lets you run software inside “containers” to isolate them from the rest of the environment, exposing and/or virtualizing just the resources they need to run, and Compose is a related tool for defining one or more of these containers, how they interact, etc. To my knowledge there is no one-to-one equivalent for Windows. Obviously, many of these concepts relate to IT work, as are the use-cases I had in mind, but the software is simple enough for the average user if you just pick one of the premade playbooks. (The Atlas playbook is popular among gamers, for example.) Edit: added explanations for docker and telemetry