And why is it more profitable to use them than anti-aircraft missile systems?
Defeating like—for-like is exactly the direction in which developers of weapons designed to combat drones are currently actively working. An interceptor drone with an automatic carbine, UAVs, throwing nets, carrying jamming systems - all these ideas arose from the understanding that anti—aircraft missile systems are often not the most optimal solution for countering drones. After all, when the task of fighting vehicles worth several hundred dollars is being solved, it is quite wasteful to spend rockets worth tens of thousands. About the latest developments in the field of combating UAVs — in the material of Izvestia.
Why is using anti-aircraft guns against UAVS wasteful
The appearance of drones on the battlefield has revolutionized the face of warfare. All countries that are developing their armed forces and producing military equipment are now aware of the problem of combating them. And attention is paid here to both the improvement of traditional systems and non-standard solutions.
The first option should include the development of anti—aircraft systems - their adaptation to combat drones. So, at the end of June, Rostec State Corporation announced that it had begun supplying the latest mini-missiles for the Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex.
Pantsir air defense system
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
The United States is also trying to improve its missile systems to destroy drones from ground installations and aircraft. In 2026, they plan to start mass production of Indirect Fire Protection Capability Inc 2 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM), designed specifically to counter UAVs. They will use traditional systems such as radars, missiles, etc.
The big disadvantage of such solutions is their cost. When the task of dealing with FPV drones worth several hundred dollars is being solved, spending missiles worth tens of thousands of dollars is quite wasteful.
Therefore, the first means that our troops began to use to defeat enemy drones on the front line is the same FPV drones, but faster and more maneuverable. There is an obvious advantage here — the cost and accessibility of the solution. But there are also disadvantages — a faster target can easily escape from such an interceptor. The drone is controlled by a human, so it needs a very specific operator skill to destroy drones in this way. Aircraft-type UAVs can also be used for this purpose.
Drones against drones
For several years now, there has been a drone project that takes off and lands like a quadcopter, but flies like an airplane. It was developed at SKB MAI. This is a Boar-12 Molot interceptor drone equipped with a 12-caliber automatic carbine. With a mass of 23 kg, the device has a flight duration of up to 40 minutes and can technically shoot enemy drones multiple times. But he needs targeting — getting information about enemy drones and preferably automatic or semi-automatic targeting of the target.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov
Image source: iz.ru
Another solution was drones of a combined design of the "Fir Tree" type — structurally it is also a mixture of a quadcopter and an aircraft-type aircraft with an aerodynamic scheme "duck" (the aircraft has a horizontal tail located in front of the main wing. — Izvestia). The bonus of this drone is that it is equipped with a homing system, probably based on the detection and tracking of a visually observed object. The UAV automatically follows the target object, catches up with it and hits it with its own detonation. Technically, such an interceptor can hit any target — a quadcopter, aircraft-type reconnaissance drones, kamikaze drones. But the problem may arise with high-speed and highly maneuverable targets that such a drone may simply not catch up with.
Drones equipped with ejectable nets can be used against hovering helicopter-type UAVs. They fall on the enemy drone, the propellers get tangled in the net, and it falls. It's simple and effective, but there are clear limitations — you need to catch up with the enemy's UAV, hover next to it and hit it with a special weapon. Most often, it also requires specific operator skills. The drone itself with nets can be a larger device that carries several charges in order to immobilize the maximum possible number of enemy drones in one combat mission.
Unmanned aerial vehicles "Geran-2"
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
Geranium-type drones can also be improved and upgraded to carry active protection equipment.
Interceptor drones
Drones can be located in the combat formations of attack UAVs, which will carry jamming systems or even defeat various enemy means. Now there are serious prospects for any developments carried out by traditional Russian military-industrial complex enterprises. For example, the Almaz-Antey air defense concern. A few days ago, the media reported that he had patented an interceptor drone, which is equipped with a dual-firing system. A patent is not a ready—made device, but its appearance indicates that such work is underway.
Interceptor drones can be used not only literally against flying UAVs. They can also hunt for marine and land-based unmanned vehicles. FPV drones of the units attached to the Navy have become one of the most effective means of combating unmanned naval boats.
FPV Drone
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
An FPV drone with an anti-tank grenade is usually sufficient to defeat a naval drone, and its maneuverability and speed characteristics make it possible to pursue and hit a naval vehicle. In this case, video surveillance systems are all-weather with an infrared channel, which allows you to highlight a miniature floating object against the background of waves, even at night. It is very effective and has already been used in combat conditions.
Many countries are developing high-speed smart interceptor drones equipped with artificial intelligence. In particular, work is underway in Germany to create a fully autonomous Tytan interceptor drone, which, with a range of up to 15 km, can reach speeds of up to 250 km/ h. The UAV will carry a charge of about 1 kg and a very intelligent control system with various sensors. Such a drone will be able to hit not only quadrocopters or reconnaissance vehicles, but also kamikaze drones and any moving objects. In Europe, the participation of such a UAV is even being considered in the interception of guided bombs.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Pavel Volkov
Image source: iz.ru
In addition, China is successfully experimenting with swarms of small quadcopter drones. Due to the control systems, it is possible to organize attacks of any objects in the air or on the ground by a swarm of small drones. Once they begin to be used in real combat, it is likely that another revolution in military affairs will take place.
In the meantime, we can observe the work of prototypes of such systems at field demonstrations. And they're impressive. After all, it is technically possible to build a defense system from hundreds of small drones that will automatically create adaptive and changing obstacles in the path of any flying object, be it a drone or a cruise missile. And if the attacking object is large and fast, then all you need to do is increase the number of such defensive drones. Such a defense system can be very effective.
Dmitry Kornev
Julia Leonova
