Ukraine unveils "ptashynka": A game-changer in drone warfare
Ukrainians have showcased the "Ptashynka," a large FPV drone with a diameter of 33 centimetres and a flight range of up to 19 kilometres. A key feature of the "Ptashynka" is its resistance to jamming; the only way to stop it is to shoot it down.
Currently, both sides in the Ukraine conflict are beginning to use drones resistant to jammers on a large scale. A more advanced and expensive option is drones that attack targets in the final phase of flight based on artificial intelligence algorithms, while a cheaper and more popular option, also among Russians, is drones connected to a control station via a deployable fibre optic cable.
Defending against these drones is very difficult, and essentially, the only way to interrupt the attack is to shoot them down before they reach the target. Russian drones cause significant problems for Ukrainians by attacking valuable vehicles such as infantry fighting vehicles like the Marder 1A3, tanks such as the M1A1 Abrams, and howitzers like the PzH 2000.
Now Ukrainians have presented a factory version of this type of drone known as "Ptashynka" (Пташка), supplementing improvised drones of this type used by units such as "Ptaki Madziara," which has already developed a defence strategy against them.
Ukrainian "Ptashynka" - for Russians, the choice is to shoot it down or face destruction
The "Ptashynka" is available in versions with fibre optic spools of either 10 or 19 kilometres, and interestingly, the spool is angled relative to the flight direction, which improves aerodynamics.
There is also widespread use of 3D-printed parts to maximise lift for the battery and warhead. The components are sourced from domestic suppliers or volunteer groups like Wild Bees.
The photo shows a substantial cumulative warhead that is clearly larger than popular PG-7VL grenades, possibly even inspired by the Javelin, allowing penetration greater than 1 metre of armour steel.
Russian field improvisations will be futile
Furthermore, the warhead most likely has a precursor (a smaller tip) for overcoming obstacles such as reactive armour or layers of scrap metal, which make Russian tanks resemble "armoured barns." Simply put, this charge makes an opening for a larger warhead to detonate on the actual tank.
In times of shortages of typical anti-tank weapons and uncertainty about supplies, such as the FGM-148 Javelin from the USA in the long term, this development direction is apt. It's worth noting that so far, Americans have not announced a new delivery package for Ukraine, and currently only deliveries approved by the Joe Biden administration are being carried out.
