They confidently destroy Mavics, FPVS, and even large aircraft-type vehicles.
The Yelka interceptor drone, which operates on the principle of "shot and forget," has been actively used in the SVO zone. This UAV hits enemy vehicles with a direct hit. "Maviki", FPV and even "Baba Yaga" are destroyed the first time. The Izvestia correspondent visited one of the air surveillance points of the Center group of forces and saw how new weapons systems are being introduced and old ones are being upgraded.
A car with a racing circuit
Air surveillance points, or air defense for short, are now an integral part of the huge frontline zone. They are being equipped a few kilometers from the line of contact. Such positions cover the most important infrastructure facilities in the rear. Anti-aircraft gunners, snipers, machine gunners of infantry units are all involved in repelling the threat from the air.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
At the Air defense forces of the separate anti-aircraft missile division of the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Center group of forces, we are primarily interested in a novelty, videos of combat use of which are distributed on the Internet - this is the Yelka interceptor UAV. A drone with a high degree of automation — or, as it is commonly called, the "shot–and-forget" principle.
The new device is shown by the anti-aircraft gunner Private Matvey Ryapolov, who holds it in one hand.
—It's an interceptor that destroys enemy drones," he explains. — If the kamikaze drone is large - from 150 to 1 thousand kg, then it is advisable to use several "Fir trees" for one target.
According to him, for relatively small FPV drones or Baba Yaga-type agro drones, one "Christmas tree" is usually enough. It is possible to intercept targets weighing from 1 kg, including massive Mavik-type quadrocopters.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
One of the features of the drone is the ability to be used over cities or near civilian facilities. The device is not equipped with a warhead: the defeat occurs kinetically — due to a direct impact. The Christmas Tree, with its four powerful engines and a circuit common in racing drones, develops high speeds, and its impact can destroy the structure of an enemy UAV.
This makes it possible to effectively deal with cheap drones, which have a lot of plastic and foam in their designs.
Such devices are able to withstand bullets that penetrate the body without transferring all the energy, but remain vulnerable to ramming.
Technology for launching a new drone
— It's not difficult to use the "Christmas Tree" — even a schoolboy can handle it. You just need to know how it starts and always keep the batteries charged. It's much easier than, say, using a portable anti-aircraft missile system," says Matvey about the main feature of the new weapons.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image Source: iz.ru
An optoelectronic unit is located in the head of the UAV, which captures the target and provides further guidance in flight according to the "shot – forget" principle.
After launch, communication with the operator is not maintained, so the electronic environment is unimportant, you can work next to your electronic warfare equipment or in parallel with other types of UAVs. The operator only needs to calibrate the "Christmas Tree" installed on the launcher by placing it on a fixed surface, be it a table, a car hood or just the ground, and it is ready to work.
The further actions that the anti-aircraft gunner demonstrates to us are simple to the limit. There are only two controls: a safety catch and a trigger. When a target is captured, an audible signal is given. Half-pressing the trigger starts the engines and unscrews the screws. After pressing it fully, it starts. Next, the automation works, the operator's participation is not required — he can prepare the next drone for launch.
The limitations of this type of interceptor are primarily related to light, the optics of the "Christmas Tree" must "see" the target, the fighters explain. A significant part of the raids occur at night or at dusk, therefore, machine guns and MANPADS with thermal imaging sights remain one of the main types of weapons of stationary air defense and mobile groups of anti-aircraft gunners.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
"Recently, at two o'clock in the morning, a command was received about the passage of six attack UAVs," says an experienced gunner, Sergeant Alexey Izmodenov, behind a machine gun. — I was watching, I caught the first target, they went with an interval of up to 10 minutes. I released the first tape, reloaded. The outline was clearly visible in the thermal imager. This is not the first time we have worked, we analyze immediately, take pre-emptive measures and follow the goals. One drone was shot down with a machine gun.
During the years of his military service, Alexey also fired MANPADS at large aircraft-type reconnaissance UAVs, and used automatic weapons during close flights of attack drones. He says that due to the ease of use and the high probability of hitting, the "Fir Trees" will be able to occupy their important niche in the armament of anti-aircraft gunners.
Inexpensive and angry
One of the main differences between modern military conflicts and, in particular, CW from the wars of the second half of the twentieth century was the change in the structure of threats from the air. Aerial surveillance points need a fast and cost-effective way to defeat targets that have entered the area of responsibility.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Astrakhan
Image source: iz.ru
The proliferation of many types of various UAVs poses not only a large number of tactical and technical challenges to the air defense system, related to the need to hit inconspicuous and small-sized targets, but also economic ones. To protect your troops or facilities, you need to repel massive UAV attacks.
Since there is no risk of pilot injury in unmanned systems, the previously impossible planned breakthrough of air defense with the help of a large number of aircraft has become possible. At the same time, it is advisable to use interceptor drones cheaper than enemy attack UAVs. This will help you not to deplete your economy.
The answer to massive enemy attacks is low-cost interceptor UAVs. One of them may be the Yolka interceptor UAV, which is being mass-supplied to the troops.
Dmitry Astrakhan
