Innovative drone tactics reshape battlefield strategies in Ukraine
Commercial drones have become an inseparable element of the war in Ukraine and pose a significant threat to both sides. This has led to a search for the most economical method of eliminating them, and the Russians have come up with an intriguing idea. We present what they have devised.
One of the most effective low-cost methods of eliminating reconnaissance drones in Ukraine has turned out to be the use of FPV drones as an anti-aircraft solution. Apart from taking down drones, there have even been instances of shooting down helicopters.
Even though such a drone or armed variant costs about £770 individually, which is still dozens or even hundreds of times cheaper than, for example, man-portable air-defence systems like the 9K333 Verba, it is still a one-time solution.
It is worth noting that in recent months, China has made it considerably more difficult to sell drone parts to both Russia and Ukraine, prompting both sides to begin using commercial drones "less extravagantly."
One idea for a reusable anti-aircraft drone is to use a net barrier that would allow for disabling the enemy drone’s propellers while preserving its own during ramming. The idea might work, but the net would likely need to have smaller meshes than in the Russian concept shown below.
Drone destruction by ramming — a simple yet effective method
Kinetic drone counteraction is the best approach because electronic warfare systems do not always succeed. All it takes is for the opponent to change the control signal frequency of the drones to one beyond the capabilities of known jammers, which has already occurred, or to develop drones that operate autonomously in offline mode.
Currently, the most affordable counter methods like, for example, gun systems are few and have a limited range, e.g., up to 5 kilometres for the Skynex, and the widespread use of laser weapons still remains a future possibility. In these circumstances, a reusable ramming drone appears to be a promising idea.
Of course, simultaneously, the opposing side will be experimenting with protection methods, so probably propeller guards or more sophisticated methods will appear. For instance, the Russians have started equipping their drones with jammers to disrupt the video signal of the attacking drone.
