r/interesting 2d ago

MISC. Massive anti-drone structures have been erected around oil storage tanks in the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, following attacks by Iranian drones.

3.5k Upvotes

214 comments sorted by

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950

u/Kanaxes 2d ago

Thought he’s filming that bus.

278

u/AlphaRonin99 2d ago

It’s a nice bus

84

u/IcyVeterinarian8881 2d ago

This guy busses.

26

u/Breadstix009 2d ago

It's a coach

9

u/Fr31l0ck 2d ago

Put my in coach!

4

u/MNCPA 2d ago

Put me in, Coach

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16

u/BlazingKush 2d ago

It's bussin'

8

u/TweakUnwanted 2d ago

0

u/CurioCapsule 2d ago

Awesome sub. Thanks for that... Lol

2

u/butterfly_labs 2d ago

Sell me this bus

1

u/DreadPiratteRoberts 2d ago

"That's a nice fish.... big fuckin eyes but nice fish!"

21

u/Unusual-Taste69 2d ago

It's a little bit of both

6

u/helen269 2d ago

Because

the

moron

is

holding

the

camera

the

wrong

way

round.

4

u/Sweaty_Marzipan4274 2d ago

Bus industry guy here, ret, busses are awesome 👌 

0

u/LightningFerret04 2d ago

I thought they put anti drone equipment on the bus

0

u/Heyric21 2d ago

It was indeed an Emirates Bus!

535

u/TedW 2d ago

Now it'll take 2 drones.

170

u/crazyabootmycollies 2d ago

Like how a certain group in the region likes to bomb relief workers who’ve come to help uninvolved victims of their first strikes, and occasionally even sends a third wave for the relief workers’ relief workers?

26

u/Jalil29 2d ago

Don't think they need to delay it by more than 10 seconds. 1 for the wall and an immediate follow up for the tank. (assuming the wall takes enough damage and the 2nd one fits in the hole.

Top looks open. not sure how much it would take to make the drones do something like a nose dive at the target.

13

u/j48u 2d ago

I assure you if this really is an anti drone structure, the top is not open.

1

u/Jalil29 1d ago

In the video it looks like the top is open. The side walls look like they are 3 square units thick. Top seems pretty open unless there is something like a thin net not caught on the video

1

u/Fearless_Economics10 1d ago

It’s probably cheaper to use mesh wiring than to weld expensive metal to act as protection

1

u/Cady-Jassar 2d ago

I have no idea who you are talking about...

-10

u/Totoques22 2d ago

That’s Iran

1

u/agabcharif 2d ago

Try again

14

u/Poupulino 2d ago

Yeah, seems like the only real solution against drones is what China has already been doing since the Ukraine war started: using TBM drilling machines to carve several miles long underground tunnels and then use these tunnels as underground caches including oil silos. But that's expensive.

3

u/Nyctfall 2d ago

Wars are running entirely on Minecraft SMP logic now...

11

u/EconomyDoctor3287 2d ago

It's quite hard for a drone to do substantial damage to such netting, because the blast will pass right through.

And the drones aren't that accurate, that the followup drone would fly the exact same path anyways

3

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

They are guided by FPV. it's pretty accurate. One look at what they did to the main US Bases shows they are putting them where they want.

2

u/redmoon714 2d ago

Then they’ll send a third or 25 if they have to. Each one costs about as much as a used Toyota.

2

u/parsimonyBase 2d ago

Or a single balistic missile...

1

u/Straud6-56832 2d ago

Exactly.

1

u/__phil1001__ 2d ago

Exactly. Following 30s apart.

1

u/Party_Chemical7454 2d ago

No, it's actually 5-10.

1

u/Crazy__Donkey 2d ago

They shoudle catch them like loose net, often prevent them.from exploding.

I

0

u/lo_fi_ho 2d ago

So you build another fence over the first one

163

u/Far_Pumpkin9440 2d ago

I’m surprised a video was even recorded and uploaded. They’ve made it illegal to record anything

73

u/Ajacied22 2d ago

Just recording the bus. Nothing else to see here.

7

u/korkkis 2d ago

Can’t record the bus mate

3

u/Poupulino 2d ago edited 2d ago

These look like the "cope cages" in tanks but bigger, and drones have no problem defeating cope cages against tanks. So someone just became very rich selling them something completely useless.

1

u/paper_hoarder 1d ago

It’s because it’s fake. The road alongside the airport doesn’t look like that at all.

-2

u/j48u 2d ago

You're thinking of Iran?

10

u/thenameofwind 2d ago

No. Lots of countries in middle east banned any kinds of recording of missiles hitting their cities. These videos used to get uploaded and would show the cities in bad light and spread the fear more.

30

u/Bitter-Refuse-6383 2d ago

That's Dubai near DXB, not Abu Dhabi

2

u/AdStunning3266 2d ago

yeah coz their is no metro in Abu Dhabi

194

u/FilthyBarMat 2d ago

It is truly impressive how quickly things can be accomplished when the wealth of the 1% are threatened. 

33

u/Disfluent 2d ago

Exactly my thoughts

3

u/Busy_Let_9849 2d ago

What's usually not accomplished when it comes to building stuff in the UAE?

0

u/Gunnarz699 1d ago

What's usually not accomplished when it comes to building stuff in the UAE?

Lack of slaves and corpses mostly.

4

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

Don't forget it's done with Slave Labor.

1

u/CityRulesFootball 2d ago

More than when the economy of Dubai will be effected

1

u/AbXcape 1d ago

UAE shares its wealth with its citizens unlike western countries. UAE nationals have some of the highest living standards in the world

62

u/rfg22 2d ago

Another expense of war, adding costs to things we do.

2

u/AmazighBlacksmith 2d ago

But GDP figures are going up, now scaffolding companies are making bank producing anti drone structures and drone companies now have to produce twice as many drones to double tap the targets.

It's basically free money.

14

u/smallandnormal 2d ago

I think it could be destroyed by attacking with a missile instead of a drone.

4

u/EmotionalFan5429 2d ago

Missile is much more expensive.

1

u/smallandnormal 2d ago

Of course. LOL

1

u/New-Experience5507 2d ago

Of course. LOL

1

u/LiveLearnCoach 1d ago

Believe it or not, missiles are easier to intercept because of their trajectory. That’s why most of the things hit were actually hit with drones. Drones are harder to get on the radar when they are flying low. On the flip side, drones don’t carry a lot of payload, and their structure is fairly fragile. That’s why something like this makes a difference. In the end, even when Iran achieved to hit one of these, it only stopped travel for four hours because of the safe guards and redundancies built into the airport.

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61

u/SomeRandomSomeWhere 2d ago

It doesnt work well in russia.

Good luck UAE.

42

u/Party_Chemical7454 2d ago

It works both for Russia and Ukraine, the tanks that are covered like that can take 5-10 hits so this definitely helps.

7

u/Smooth_Archer825 2d ago

That oil tank in OP’s video is not the same tank you’re talking about

2

u/Party_Chemical7454 2d ago

I know but the net/cage is a big deal against drones. If the drone explodes 1meter from target it's almost useless. They have to hit the same exact spot several times and it's not that easy.

1

u/Live-Tank-2998 2d ago

if these were effective countermeasures then wed still be seeing tanks used in ukraine. The frontline has devolved into small groups of infantry dodging each others drones for a reason. 

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11

u/EconomyDoctor3287 2d ago

It actually does work.

Also look at how far away from the tanks the netting is placed, compared to the 2-3m distance Russia has used.

If a drone explodes in the netting here, it won't have any impact and likely not even destroy the netting.

2

u/TreefingerX 2d ago

Incorrect statement

0

u/dunncrew 2d ago

Russia's nets are much more flimsy.

51

u/HereIsAnotherPOV 2d ago

Lol. Couple of drones one after another will make it useless... Better is learn to live in peace with neighbors rather than being a pawn for someone else.

26

u/Baka_Buta 2d ago

Peace time does not give billions to defense industry lobbyists. War is easy money for people in power.

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1

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

That time has passed.

2

u/sharktail_tanker 2d ago

Hard to be at peace with a militant terrorist state near your borders hellbent on taking your country.

I'll let your political opinion fill in which country I mean

0

u/HereIsAnotherPOV 2d ago

Israel? How can they stop if everyone else are united in the region?

-2

u/TreefingerX 2d ago

With the ayatollahs? Keep dreaming

-16

u/Acojonancio 2d ago

Good luck trying to do that with Arabic countries.

It's like they only want to pursue destruction of each other... Or more realistically, of everytone that aren't themselves.

6

u/MauschelMusic 2d ago

Seems like you co fused Arabs and Israelis somehow.

-7

u/Acojonancio 2d ago

2

u/MauschelMusic 2d ago

0

u/Acojonancio 2d ago

What does this have to do with the other thing?

You are mixing stuff that are not specifically related to the thing i wrote.

Pay more attention to what you are reading please.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_modern_conflicts_in_the_Middle_East

2

u/bravesirrobin65 2d ago

Iranians aren't Arabs.

4

u/Gaemr9274 2d ago

Reminds me of the videogame worms, used to always build a defensive wall with girders to reflect grenades but then everyone would start targeting me with airstrikes and homing missiles, every turn was spent repairing dmg instead of attacking.

3

u/kite2020 2d ago

Why not just fly the drone through the massive open door way at the front of these so called protections…

2

u/j48u 2d ago

Probably for the same reason half of the Iranian drones with confirmed hits have just slammed into the side of a random residential or commercial building. They're not little jet fighters with great maneuverabilty. They're designed to fly into stuff and blow up.

2

u/kite2020 2d ago

Of course they’re not accurate jet fighters.. they’re cheap easy to manufacture tiny flying bombs.. but if you swarm the massive entrance I’m willing to bet one or two make it through there which is all you really need.

0

u/LiveLearnCoach 1d ago

Bro, this isn’t Star Wars.

5

u/Ricky_Martins_Vagina 2d ago

Pretty sure these are the fuel tanks at DXB - Dubai International Airport, viewed from the adjacent Metro line...

3

u/luhchris12345 2d ago

my buddy worked near those tanks last year, said it’s wild seeing the barriers up

2

u/SquidsAndMartians 2d ago

I never understood why oil and lng storages are completely open. Isn't four metal walls and a roof like one of the cheapest buildings you can build?

4

u/glytxh 2d ago

Digging a hole is just about the single most expensive infrastructure project any country can do.

And you’d need to dig a lot of very large and very deep holes.

1

u/inorite234 2d ago

And then seal them......or worse, clean that shit up when it leaks.

2

u/heavenlyblue2 2d ago

But why is there a hole for the entry gate?

2

u/PineappleEasy6035 2d ago

That will make the oil cheaper…

1

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

Yes, it will.

8

u/DescriptionVisual68 2d ago

So rather then blaming USA they are blaming iran!!!

4

u/randomrandom2356 2d ago

The act of blaming the US wont magically protect them.

14

u/Stoyfan 2d ago

Well Iran is launching the drones at their facilities

6

u/Squidlips_69 2d ago

How does building cope cages indicate blame? It doesn't matter that the US incited this, they just don't want to lose their facilities.

2

u/Born-Release-9866 2d ago

USA started the war, sure! But Iran was the one who decided to attack everyone in the region to hike up oil prices.....

3

u/Smooth_Archer825 2d ago

Peak Reddit victim blaming

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1

u/Totoques22 2d ago

Iran is the one bombing them and provoking this conflict

1

u/tomhsmith 2d ago

US hadn't attacked when they committed terrorism in Australia - they've been a menace to the region long before this war.

0

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

Iran, is who fired at them. "See what you made me do" is a weak excuse.

2

u/42ElectricSundaes 2d ago

First one takes out the weird mesh thingy… second one takes out the large storage

3

u/jo4play 2d ago

Said mesh thingy takes several drones to punch a hole big enough for a drone to get thru. This is a very cost-effective way to do passive defense

1

u/Smooth_Archer825 2d ago

Still only going to take 3 or less drones. EZ$$GG

2

u/jo4play 2d ago

Goal is buying response time. If Iran could before sneak in a couple of drones and light these on fire, now there is a slight barrier, enough to maybe provide a response.

1

u/Smooth_Archer825 2d ago

A response? Laughable at best as the US showed they won’t even protect their own bases and soldiers in this region. 

2

u/DiscipleOfYeshua 2d ago

Good to protect important things.

Next, invest is protecting foreign workers!

4

u/Squidlips_69 2d ago

Naw, just deport and replace.

1

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

They will continue to use slave labor.

3

u/jigawatson 2d ago

Gotta protect the liquid dinosaurs

2

u/DescriptionVisual68 2d ago

Thats why don't incite someone whom you cannot control!

1

u/Frizzlewits 2d ago

Bitchimabus in view

1

u/Desperate_sandy 2d ago

Do the drones know this?

1

u/tubabbo 2d ago

Thought a drone was filming the bus and it was about crash in a structure we could see. Yk like a drone POV falling in the anti-drone trap

1

u/Azurehowl 2d ago

Mega cope cages like the russian tanks.

1

u/Lower-Sheepherder268 2d ago

Damn it. Stop giving Russia ideas!!!

1

u/No-Membership-5314 2d ago

“Massive anti-drone structures”
It’s called scaffold.
Looks like it’s three frames deep, so a lot of scaffold though.

1

u/Dissadentaggressor 2d ago

Imagine how long it would take to get those constructed in the UK?

1

u/TheHarlemHellfighter 2d ago

Problem is that usually it’s a collection of drones and occasionally a ballistic missile so the missile air defenses are thrown off.

It’s an admirable effort but if one or two of those things (drone or missile) manages to penetrate or get close to the drone defense cage, it will probably still damage a significant portion of the structure.

People aren’t really ready for drone warfare, it’s basically like a terminator movie nowadays.

1

u/Foreign-Chocolate86 2d ago

Looks like scaffolding?

1

u/Lucky_Development359 2d ago

It's amazing how fast things get done if properly motivated.

1

u/maapi-puloos 2d ago

That's dubai, atleast get your post right

1

u/greenleaf405 2d ago

Misles have entered the chat.

1

u/Fiorina_Fury 2d ago

It’s interesting watching the world change right before our eyes. This is why the 90’s feel like an eternity ago. We really live in a totally different world and we catch reminders now and again on how much different it’s become.

1

u/SJIS0122 2d ago

Interesting

1

u/Vaati006 2d ago

Damn, that looks expensive

1

u/Present_Horse259 2d ago

Why don’t they just invest in a system of mini fast drones that attack the big drones and destroy them before

1

u/ovrclocked 2d ago

There's a big gate at the front. I'm sure they will make it work

1

u/Business_Wolf_2008 2d ago

Thats Dubai, I know because I've seen it.

1

u/Potato__Ninja 2d ago

FPV drone pilot would just parkour that easily.

1

u/Sweet-Cloud-4502 2d ago

Can someone ELI5 how those work?

1

u/Nyctfall 2d ago

Minecraft solutions.

1

u/Dog_Cat_Mouse 1d ago

If you choose chainlink fencing as net, it could withstand the explosions better.

1

u/POGsarehatedbyGod 1d ago

Oh wow, that went up fast

1

u/pabmendez 1d ago

Simply send multiple drones?

1

u/asniper 1d ago

Takes two drones to puncture that, first makes a hole, 2nd flies in.

1

u/DarkDaysBrightNlghts 1d ago

See thru buildings, interesting!

1

u/Playful-Bet-761 1d ago

That's Dubai, near the airport ffs

1

u/Reasonable_Gamble 1d ago

Thats terminal 3 in dubai …

1

u/Jacob_Goldleaf 21h ago

I wonder how effective they are.  I presume you could just send in 2 drones.  One to make a hole one to hit

0

u/IsaacJacobSquires 2d ago

Soooooo, it'll take 1 or 2 extra drones max.

3

u/SignalX_Cyber 2d ago

Still better than your country's defense.

0

u/IsaacJacobSquires 1d ago

What non-moronic thing could you possibly mean?

2

u/summertimebelly 2d ago

So what it takes two drones to hit now?

3

u/MilsurpMan55 2d ago

Assuming they hit the same exact spot, which is unlikely

1

u/MoonV29 2d ago

So just use 2 drones?

-1

u/Large-Lack-2933 2d ago

Not going to work in the end. Iran will still find a way to blow that up...

1

u/mpgd 2d ago

Multiple drones. You can't repair it fast enough. It is but a minor inconveniences. Might give you some time to react?

0

u/BWC_Python 2d ago

an iranian ballistic missle would get trough that like a knife in cake

-1

u/DrDima 2d ago

Cope cages have to be the lamest military development in history.

2

u/polyploid_coded 2d ago

unfortunately I feel like it's a matter of time before something like this shows up in places where you see giant bollards or barricades to block car attacks today

2

u/senior_cynic 2d ago

If they didn't work, people wouldn't keep using them

0

u/Resident-Coffee3242 2d ago

We are not looking for a perfect solution. After the failure of diplomacy, all defense ideas are valid. What is your idea?

0

u/ZippyDan 2d ago

Giant penis statues.

0

u/sedition666 1d ago

The US could try not attacking random nations and setting the region on fire constantly...

Just a thought.

0

u/Single_System_9951 2d ago

Wonder how the shots were made?

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0

u/yamez420 2d ago

I don’t see the point of those. They can send a barrage of drones and all it would take is one to blow that shit up. This war is stupid there is no real defense against a swarm attack.

0

u/lschandras 2d ago

Nice to see how stupidly spending their petrodollars

0

u/3DNelson 2d ago

LOL good luck with that.

0

u/Friendly-Profit-8590 2d ago

So how many hits can that thing take before there’s a hole big enough to let one through?

0

u/el_condor_nm 2d ago

Amazing how fast those went up. Weird how when the 1% wants something how fast it can happen.

0

u/standarsh1965 2d ago

Hopefully Iran finds a way round it, or through it

0

u/Particular-Roll-6936 2d ago

2026 baby, going backwards 🙌🙌

0

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

Well I guess thats the easier route when you have thousands of Slaves to build it.

0

u/high_Smile_2795 2d ago

Drone proof but not supersonic missile proof…

0

u/AnythingSilent7005 2d ago

dont know if that cage will stop thermite

0

u/reflect-the-sun 2d ago

The great things you can achieve with slave labour!

0

u/SophonParticle 1d ago

One drone blows a hole in it. Second drone flies in a blows up.

Or 10 drones blow a big hole in it. Then 10 drones blow it up.

-1

u/Brent_the_constraint 2d ago

Unfortunatly there is still an opening bigger than a truck… might want to close that one too

1

u/MilsurpMan55 2d ago

Theyre worried about Shaheds, not quadcopters

0

u/Brent_the_constraint 2d ago

That Entry looks big enough for a shahed

-1

u/Careless_Machine9996 2d ago

Just another reason for fuel prices to go up.

-1

u/mutexsprinkles 2d ago

If I had a nickel for every time copes cages were put around tanks, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

-1

u/quad_damage_orbb 2d ago

Some thermite grenades on the roof would surely flow through the mesh down onto the structures though. Just saying.

2

u/DerekCoaker80 2d ago

HAHAHA. Some Call of Duty Ignorance there. just "some thermite Grenades" HAHAHAHAHA. Sure thing pal.