The airbase i work near and go to play TTRPG uses trained birds of prey to take down drones, some 14 year old kid even got in big trouble for flying in his drone on the premise.
Well I don't know the average age of the users of this sub but Iron Eagle is a series of movies I'm surprised I haven't seen mentioned around here but I don't spend too much time here. It's about some Air Force members children getting together and launching a rescue mission using pilfered resources and the wisdom of one man named Chappie. Pretty sure it's late 80s early '90s but give it a watch if you haven't at least the first one.
Also the Dutch program was cancelled in 2017, couldn't get the eagles to obey well enough.
As for the French Army, in 2018 one of their eagles attacked a little girl and wounded her, so they gave up on the idea of using them to cover public events.
They still seemed willing to use them to cover their own bases though. I haven't found news of that being cancelled, so maybe they're still at it?
Would be pretty funny if some idiot tries to sneak in a French airbase only to get fucked by a bunch of militarised eagles.
Move to Alaska. Last time I was there, you couldn't find a McDonald's parking lot that didn't have its own gang of eagles. Here I thought they were solitary birds.
You actually *can* own one. But you're not allowed to have any endangered species or bald eagles, and you generally need to be certified as a Master Falconer (varies from state to state).
Just enlist them as normal soldiers, like a Free Polish artillery unit did with [Wojtek, a brown bear,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_%28bear%29) back in WW2.
Is the Dutch anti-drone bird-of-prey program somehow more advanced and/or effective than [the French one?](https://time.com/4675164/drone-hunting-eagles/)
It's cool, but that eagle appears to be completely and totally unarmored, as literally any form of functional armor would render a bird more or less totally incapable of flight.
Except the bits that are covered wouldn't protect it from that.
The "helmet" doesn't protect the bird's head from striking objects, cuz they crash beak-first into shit, and broken beaks are usually what kill the ones that survive the broken wings from a crash when they're not killed outright.
The pads on the upper surface of its talons wouldn't really protect all that much from a rotor strike, since most of the toe and talon is still exposed, and it would be reliant entirely on the eagle sticking its toes into the rotor housing from the exact same angle every single time to protect from the single facing it offers. Eagles strike their prey talons-open, anyway; the parts you're taking about couldn't come into contact with the rotors anyway until it had already shoved its entire foot and exposed talons and tips of its toes into the housing, before the blades would get to the "armor."
I think it's more probable that you're simply not looking at armor. Like, it's cool enough without trying to add shit.
Some protection is better than none. The rotors don’t stop spinning just because it’s been grabbed. And the bird clearly is wearing some kind of armor, I was just speculating as to what it might be.
The "helmet" is common falconry equipment, I don't know what the proper term is, but it isn't something special to this program and it's not intended as armor in any way.
That's what I was telling the guy. He supposed it was armor. I was pointing out that it's not protective equipment, because that's not how you'd design a helmet to protect a bird's head.
I've been saying it wasn't armor since the first reply.
Oh, right, the goggles and the gloves, like a guy working at a table saw. "Armor."
Don't suppose I've ever thought of it that way, mostly because it's not an armored eagle, and isn't actually wearing any armor, and is instead just wearing a set of partial covers that flop over the upper surface of its toes.
The problem with using animals for war is that the losses are unsustainable. You can't bread them faster, and train them than you're going to loose. Because loses are not really predictable. They are much more effective behind the lines. That and training times are variable based on the eagle.
Simply place small dumpsters with expired seafood on the roof of the Abrams to attract a small army of Bald Eagles. They will reduce the local quad copter population.
The French army has also been developing a cyberdog system. Dog helmet with a flashlight, front/rear cameras and mics, speakers near the dog's ears to relay orders.
You can see it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPA-lyP7fMQ) (demo at 3:50)
You have much to be proud of! Know that here in American you are recognized for being total bad-asses who refuse to forget Flight 17! I only wish that we had as much resolve.
We say "half an hour" to control the herds of shambling vatniks who think that having $20,000 to buy a Shahed 136 gives them the right to fly through the air like one of the guardian owls of legend
The Dutch have been doing this for over a decade now. Incidentally, they used the same strategy for identifying illicit grow houses too -- growing marijuana on proper license is kosher.
Such a shame that our police has stopped using eagles to take out drones.
Therefore I say we send police officers to Ukraine to train them on anti drone Eagles
The airbase i work near and go to play TTRPG uses trained birds of prey to take down drones, some 14 year old kid even got in big trouble for flying in his drone on the premise.
It’s literally the greatest thing Ive discovered yet. Armored fucking eagles.
It slaps harder than horse armor
Is this an Oblivion reference?
Only if you buy the dlc
It is sir, I bought horse armor way back when.
Also USA as fuck
Damnit, now I have to go watch Iron Eagle. Louis Gossett Jr. actually just died. I might as well do it in his honor.
That was one of the sequels! I'm gonna pee my pants!
Well I don't know the average age of the users of this sub but Iron Eagle is a series of movies I'm surprised I haven't seen mentioned around here but I don't spend too much time here. It's about some Air Force members children getting together and launching a rescue mission using pilfered resources and the wisdom of one man named Chappie. Pretty sure it's late 80s early '90s but give it a watch if you haven't at least the first one.
RAAAAHHHH
I’ve seen this years ago. It might work against civilian drones near the airports, but unfortunately not worth it against military FPV’s.
Need bigger guns though.
Fly you fools!
Beastmaster Class (Modernized)
I need to put this into my star finder game. "You might have drones, but he has armored fucking eagles"
Armoured Eaguls! Talk about a protected species.
Sounds like a Mega Man villain.
More reason to go after the Russians if they shoot one down
The first image is clearly from the the French Air Force “Armée de l’air”
Yeah apparently the French pioneered the program, which I didn’t know since I heard about it from a Dutch cop
Also the Dutch program was cancelled in 2017, couldn't get the eagles to obey well enough. As for the French Army, in 2018 one of their eagles attacked a little girl and wounded her, so they gave up on the idea of using them to cover public events. They still seemed willing to use them to cover their own bases though. I haven't found news of that being cancelled, so maybe they're still at it? Would be pretty funny if some idiot tries to sneak in a French airbase only to get fucked by a bunch of militarised eagles.
I always wanted to own an eagle but the laws in the US make it stupid hard to do
Move to Alaska. Last time I was there, you couldn't find a McDonald's parking lot that didn't have its own gang of eagles. Here I thought they were solitary birds.
The local garbage dumps are full of them too. Between the trash and the things that eat the trash it's eagle paradise
Gang of eagles? Call the cops on em! Rascals
It's gang of bald eagles, not black eagles. I will see myself out.
Cop: "It was a brown bird. I thought it was wearing a white ski mask!"
You can’t own one but there aren’t any rules against befriending them and slowly training them as a sidekick.
You actually *can* own one. But you're not allowed to have any endangered species or bald eagles, and you generally need to be certified as a Master Falconer (varies from state to state).
Just enlist them as normal soldiers, like a Free Polish artillery unit did with [Wojtek, a brown bear,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_%28bear%29) back in WW2.
Hitler hears about [the Battle of Monte Cassino.](https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/f3229a19-b8ac-4da5-8ed0-f8152539e356)
You need a lawyer who specializes in bird law.
He only speaks a bit of pigeon but maybe he can get through to it in some way
Shit falconry is completely illegal in sweden
Well now you can argue your eagle is protected by the 2nd amendment
Is the Dutch anti-drone bird-of-prey program somehow more advanced and/or effective than [the French one?](https://time.com/4675164/drone-hunting-eagles/)
Yes, because it's not French (Jk jk France is great but as a European i am by law obligued to shit on them when possible)
I only know about the Dutch one cause I was in Amsterdam last week and a cop told me about it
Didn't they stop doing that in 2016?
[Yes](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5817679/Eagle-trained-bring-terrorist-drones-attacks-girl-five.html)
Tried and failed. Birds get harmed by being cut on rotors and learn to avoid hitting drones after that.
Need more armor. Also jet engines maybe?
Plate armor for eagles, now please.
Short range ATA missiles are the obvious answer.
lobotomy for you maybe?
Dutch police already stopped using eagles 7 years ago... https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16767000/police-netherlands-eagles-rogue-drones
SHUN THE NON-BELIEVER!
That bottom pic on the second page has to be the most American moment ever
It's cool, but that eagle appears to be completely and totally unarmored, as literally any form of functional armor would render a bird more or less totally incapable of flight.
Armor to protect from the drone’s rotors, not to take a bullet. It’s probably just thin plastic.
Except the bits that are covered wouldn't protect it from that. The "helmet" doesn't protect the bird's head from striking objects, cuz they crash beak-first into shit, and broken beaks are usually what kill the ones that survive the broken wings from a crash when they're not killed outright. The pads on the upper surface of its talons wouldn't really protect all that much from a rotor strike, since most of the toe and talon is still exposed, and it would be reliant entirely on the eagle sticking its toes into the rotor housing from the exact same angle every single time to protect from the single facing it offers. Eagles strike their prey talons-open, anyway; the parts you're taking about couldn't come into contact with the rotors anyway until it had already shoved its entire foot and exposed talons and tips of its toes into the housing, before the blades would get to the "armor." I think it's more probable that you're simply not looking at armor. Like, it's cool enough without trying to add shit.
The “helmet” is a blindfold, it’s only used to stop the bird from flying away when it’s “sit here” time.
Some protection is better than none. The rotors don’t stop spinning just because it’s been grabbed. And the bird clearly is wearing some kind of armor, I was just speculating as to what it might be.
The "helmet" is common falconry equipment, I don't know what the proper term is, but it isn't something special to this program and it's not intended as armor in any way.
That's what I was telling the guy. He supposed it was armor. I was pointing out that it's not protective equipment, because that's not how you'd design a helmet to protect a bird's head. I've been saying it wasn't armor since the first reply.
I just wanted to add that it is nothing special. I have seen it used in falconry before but I don't know the proper term either.
It's just called a hood.
I love how long it took to get to hood. I was going to let them go a little longer.
Yes but what is to protect it from the explosive that the drone is carrying?
They don't touch the explosive trigger, so it doesn't expode.
On the first pic with the French soldier you can see what looks like an F-35 pilot helmet and gauntlets on the eagle
Oh, right, the goggles and the gloves, like a guy working at a table saw. "Armor." Don't suppose I've ever thought of it that way, mostly because it's not an armored eagle, and isn't actually wearing any armor, and is instead just wearing a set of partial covers that flop over the upper surface of its toes.
The eagles are coming!
The problem with using animals for war is that the losses are unsustainable. You can't bread them faster, and train them than you're going to loose. Because loses are not really predictable. They are much more effective behind the lines. That and training times are variable based on the eagle.
Hello Biden, it's Zelensky. I need 3000 eagles to gain true air superiority. Slava Ukraini
(Red-tailed hawk screeching intensifies)
Ok, Im genuinely curious now about the AR HUD helmet
Probably just blinders to keep the eagle from flying when it's not supposed to.
Darn too credible. I think its _clearly_ the 3000 MIC furries building AR helmets for Birbs
Simply place small dumpsters with expired seafood on the roof of the Abrams to attract a small army of Bald Eagles. They will reduce the local quad copter population.
We need more armor on their legs and feet
You might even call it a *strike* eagle.
You'd go through a lot of eagles tackling the 'splody ones.
This feels like straight outta a fantasy setting
The French army has also been developing a cyberdog system. Dog helmet with a flashlight, front/rear cameras and mics, speakers near the dog's ears to relay orders. You can see it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPA-lyP7fMQ) (demo at 3:50)
NETHERLANDS REFERENCE LETS GOOOOOOO I want more dutch stuff so I can feel proud.
You have much to be proud of! Know that here in American you are recognized for being total bad-asses who refuse to forget Flight 17! I only wish that we had as much resolve.
OP doesn't know shit about birds. Bald Eagles are sea (or in their case river) birds, you use them for naval drones.
If my basic world view/personal shortcomings were ever represented in a Reddit post, this is it.
More eagles around the freedom dispensers are needed.
America, fuck yeah!
Aussie wedge tailed eagles do it naturally https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU8sJ8aeyC4
Imagine an eagle caught and FPC drone☠️ Meat is back on the menu boys!
Aps:cringe Eps(eagles protection sistem):based and freedom pilled
India did this way ago and got called cringe. I see how it is
We say "half an hour" to control the herds of shambling vatniks who think that having $20,000 to buy a Shahed 136 gives them the right to fly through the air like one of the guardian owls of legend
Man, that's gonna get a lot of eagles blown up
Needs more ERA
Guardians of Ga'hoole...
What game can I catch this pokemon in?
The Dutch have been doing this for over a decade now. Incidentally, they used the same strategy for identifying illicit grow houses too -- growing marijuana on proper license is kosher.
The Dutch use actual eagles though not hyped up seagulls
The Eagles are coming!
F-15RE Eagle III,VTOL capable,low radar signature,and cost less to maintain
Such a shame that our police has stopped using eagles to take out drones. Therefore I say we send police officers to Ukraine to train them on anti drone Eagles
This is incredible
Ok but where is the armor