Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (June 2025)

After 10 years in defense tech, watching missile attacks in Ukraine and the Middle East made it clear how little most people really get about air defense. So I'm builiding this simulator which drops you into the operator’s seat. You can test out different scenarios and build an air defense network against various types of threats (stats from real world). Also have Ukraine, Israel-Iran scenarios.

https://airdefense.dev/

Reminds me of a nuclear war simulator I had on my Amstrad many years ago, very cool

Really cool. Wish I could see more of the system log messages, that's the most interesting part to me.

Tangential: do you have insights into viability of mini automated anti-drone turrets? Something you'd place on a truck or pull out of a trench when needed? We already have drones with shotguns. I guess it's the automatic acquisition and targeting that's the difficult part, but just how difficult is that?

really great, would make for a great tower defense style game as well. Start with few resources and learn what each capability can do. Defend against more complex/advanced threats over time.

Is the equipment efficiency meant to capture e.g. using a $1M missile to shoot down a $1k uav/rocket

Love it. What could be a good addition IMHO is to add approximate costs of the placed systems, and cost of the ammunition used during the simulation ( for both attack and defense ).

Like the Eisenhower speech. Every missile is 10 new schools, food to feed 100 families for a year, etc.

Poked at it for a few minutes. And yes, it's clear how very little I get about air defense.

I would consider adding a tutorial or a toy version that's simplified a bit.

I tried Isreal-Iran scenario. So, any missile faster than 1000km/h pretty much have 0% chance of intercepting it? Data obviously classified, but this simulation is pretty fun.

Is this an attempt to give the decision-makers on your projects a way to develop a clue? My work is logistics-related and a lower priority than missle defense, but I'm surprised the people pulling my strings manage to get their pants on the right end of their bodies most of the time. Just curious if you folks have the same problem.

not sure you should use leaflet for this heavy map usage, it is not really usable now, maybe look at deck.gl

Greetings, Professor Falken. The only winning move is not to play.

I don't think that's what they meant.

More along the lines of comparing $200 drones to $200,000 missiles. The economics of warfare and asymmetric warfare.

Does this take into account the new "drone attacks from within the country's borders" scenario?

I think they were making a point about the kinds of things that a society can choose to spend its tax dollars on.

Looks very interesting!

In your pre-made Estonia-scenario, some of the attacks come from Finland. What's that about?

I understand the launches from the Baltic Sea, but launching Kalibr next to a Finnish garrison seems a bit far-fetched.

I find that hard to reconcile given what I was responding to:

"Love it. What could be a good addition IMHO is to add approximate costs of the placed systems, and cost of the ammunition used during the simulation ( for both attack and defense )."

I don't follow, sorry. The comment of yours that prompted my reply was in response to this comment:

> Like the Eisenhower speech. Every missile is 10 new schools, food to feed 100 families for a year, etc.