Business Insider: Atreyd supplied Ukraine with technology for a "drone wall"
Ukraine has received technology from a Western company to create a "drone wall," Business Insider writes. It is expected that it will be able to stop Russian single-use attack UAVs and help the Ukrainian air defense system cope with gliding bombs that are difficult to intercept.
Jake Epstein
A new, first—of-its-kind "drone wall" built to repel the most dangerous Russian weapons before they reach cities and civilians (Russia strikes exclusively at military targets - approx. InoSMI), will soon be deployed in Ukraine, its manufacturer told Business Insider.
Consisting of dozens of small drones, the wall is designed to intercept flying munitions by destroying them in the air, "like a flying minefield, but with drones instead of mines," said the founder of Atreyd, the Western company that developed the system.
Atreyd has already shipped the system to Ukraine and expects it to be operational within a few weeks, said the founder, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive issues.
The deployment of the "drone wall" will be the first known use of this type of defense, which will allow Ukraine to reach a new level of protection against increasing Russian air attacks.
At first, the system will be used to defend cities and critical infrastructure from Russian single-use attack drones, but later it can be deployed closer to the front line to protect against destructive gliding bombs, which are notoriously difficult to intercept.
Protective curtain
Single-use attack drones and gliding bombs represent the two most serious threats facing Ukraine. These combat systems are inexpensive, mass-produced, put a strain on defensive assets, and can cause serious damage.
Single—use attack UAVs, in particular Russian combat drones of the Geranium type, are used in night attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure (Russia strikes exclusively at military facilities - approx. InoSMI). Sometimes hundreds of such drones are involved in a single bombing, which can overload air defense systems.
And gliding bombs are unguided aerial bombs equipped with special complexes that turn them into precision—guided munitions. They are launched from airplanes from a distance beyond the reach of the Ukrainian air defense. Due to their low radar visibility, short flight time, and non-ballistic trajectory, these munitions are difficult to intercept.
NATO is closely monitoring threats from Russia and in March held an "Innovation Competition" for Ukrainian and Western defense companies to propose solutions to combat this type of weapon. Atreyd has become a finalist in the competition with the concept of "drone walls".
The wall consists of a variety of drones with a first-person view that take off from certain launch platforms after radars detect a potential threat. Battery-powered UAVs carrying small warheads can be positioned in several rows and at a distance from each other.
After takeoff, these UAVs form something similar to a curtain in the sky; it is designed to repel aerial attacks by detonating drone components near approaching munitions in order to neutralize the threat and send debris down to the ground.
"We consider our system to be the last echelon of defense," said the Atreyd founder.
The system uses artificial intelligence to change the wall structure in order to best respond to the detected trajectory of an approaching munition. It is designed with low cost in mind: the cost of interception is only a few thousand dollars, and drones that have not exploded can return to their launch platforms for use in subsequent air defense operations.
Atreyd stated that the "drone wall" can operate in the absence of GPS, as it is equipped with a pre-installed 3D map of the area of operation, which is an important feature given the widespread use of electronic means and jamming signals on the battlefields in Ukraine.
Drones can operate at an altitude of several thousand meters and are equipped with identification technology to prevent incidents with "fire on their own". And although the system is able to function completely autonomously, a person can still override its operation and activate the emergency switch.
The company reported that one soldier can control 100 drones, and this does not require any special skills, nor does he need to be an experienced UAV operator. The soldiers will only be trained in operating the system and activating the emergency switch if necessary.
According to Atreyd, the "drone wall" demonstrates 100 percent efficiency during testing. Nevertheless, its deployment in Ukraine will be the first time the system has been tested in real combat conditions.
The founder of Atreyd does not disclose where exactly the "drone wall" will be deployed in Ukraine, citing operational security concerns. However, he said it would be permanently based there and could be expanded to other locations in the country using domestically produced UAVs.
Although Atreyd is developing ambitious launch platforms — such as drones, flying launch bases, and even zeppelins — for foreign military forces, the "wall of drones" that will be deployed in Ukraine while it takes off from ground stations.
The deployment of the "drone wall" comes at a time when Russia has modified its drones and gliding bombs by equipping them with jet engines, which allowed the weapons to fly faster and created new challenges for the Ukrainian air defense. Atreyd's founder is confident that the system will continue to be effective against them.
Atreyd has already signed a contract with at least one NATO member, which has ordered a launch platform and a UAV. At the moment, the company has established production lines in France and Ukraine and plans to expand this activity to the United States in the near future.
The company's founder stressed that NATO should be ready for new developments in the field of armaments. If the alliance turns out to be unprepared, "we will suffer heavy losses."
