• Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk
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    26 days ago

    Drones can be cheaper than live soldiers.

    A british private - in year 1.

    £26,500 salary.

    £47,500 training/kit/accommodation/food

    £fuck knows in national insurance and pension contributions.

    That number increases each year as their salary does.

    Unmanned drone costs -

    £5000 for loitering munitions

    £500 for consumer drones with grenades attached etc

    • eldebryn@lemmy.world
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      26 days ago

      In my (european) country there is a mandated draft. You get paid 5 euros a month, the only personal gear you get is the outfit, boots, winter coat with some underwear and a bedbug-pillaged blanket and pillow that most dare not use.

      Why am I mentioning this? Because there’s nothing stopping the UK or other nations from establishing similar draft conditions given a good enough excuse in a war economy.

        • eldebryn@lemmy.world
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          25 days ago

          They are offered very basic food at the base they’re stationed at, usually cooked by 1-2 of the other privates, so luck of the lot.

          Word is that the reason you get multiple shots before basic is due to some of the meat being deep frozen for so long they kinda want you to be extra protected to be able to handle it.

    • pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip
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      26 days ago

      Drones can be cheaper than live soldiers.

      Right. But when the stakes are “get killed” the interest in expert opinion goes way up, and experts aren’t betting their lives that today’s AI can outwit humans when it matters.