The Navy has finalized the ship's schedule for combating aerial and surface drones
Signalmen on the ships of the Russian Navy began to practice the fight against enemy unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned boats. To combat UAVs, crews received anti-drone rifles and shotguns. The ship's schedule for combating aerial and surface drones has also been finalized. Exercises to repel drone attacks are already being conducted in the fleets. Experts note that signalers in their new role of drone hunters will not let them down — the most vigilant sailors on the ship are always appointed to this position.
A keen eye
Taking into account the experience of ITS ships, the anti-drone schedule was finalized, and places for additional firing points were identified. Crews received anti-drone rifles and shotguns to combat UAVs. They are armed with signalmen, who, according to the combat schedule, will take an active part in repelling attacks, sources in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation told Izvestia.
The anti-submarine forces of the Northern Fleet during maneuvers to search for submarines of a likely enemy in the Barents Sea have already practiced new tactics to counter drones, the interlocutors of the publication noted.
From time immemorial, signalers in the navy have tried to recruit people with good, sharp eyesight — they had to clearly see and decipher the combinations of flags that fly in the wind, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
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— In the sailing fleet, this was the main type of communication, — he noted. — Since then, of course, epochs have changed — radio, satellite communications, powerful optics, radars have appeared, but the transmission of signals using flags has remained. And the requirement for signal sailors to have sharp eyesight has not changed. The need to quickly read combinations of flags develops skills that allow you to see details that will escape the ordinary person.
For this reason, signalers are better suited than other sailors to fight small or ultra-small targets, the expert noted.
— They may be the first to see a small aerial drone or an unmanned boat that are not reflected on radar screens, — he said. — In addition, an experienced sailor will distinguish a drone from a bird, and will be the first to raise the alarm. Modern marine binoculars and optical instruments will help them do this.
Photo: TASS/Vitaly Nevar
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The commander of any Navy warship is proud of sharp-sighted signallers, military expert Captain 1st rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia.
— Signalers could sometimes detect what radar stations do not see, so their role on the ship is very important, — he explained. — The main task of the signaller is to transmit a message with flags or a semaphore searchlight to another ship or to the shore, decode the response, and also conduct surveillance, looking for surface or air targets. They are always on duty observing the sky and the water area with binoculars. The watch of the signalers is not easy — in a storm or other bad weather, they must remain at the combat post.
Despite the advanced technology, a lot still depends on a person, the expert noted.
— Now the signalers have received a new combat task — to combat UAVs and backups, they have been given the appropriate weapons, — he noted. — The radar may not notice a small drone, and the signaller will help to respond in a timely manner. An anti—drone rifle or shotgun is a good weapon against small drones — the signaller can destroy the "bird" himself if necessary. Shotguns with shotgun cartridges allow this to be done at a distance of up to 50 m or more.
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Vasily Dandykin recalled that actions when detecting UAVs, shooting to kill must be practiced in exercises in order to meet the enemy fully armed.
— Now the crews of the ships receive not only anti—drone rifles and shotguns, - he noted. — For example, machine guns, including large-caliber ones, are installed on them to combat drones, and 20-mm and 30-mm rapid-fire artillery systems can also be used. All the countries of the collective West are working for Ukraine now. The drone attacks that are being delivered from there are becoming more massive, and the fleet needs to be prepared to repel them.
Protection of ships and bases
Earlier, Izvestia wrote that the combat training program for surface ships of the Russian Navy included a new training course on anti—ship protection. It provides training for ship crews, as well as entire ship formations, to counter unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned boats.
When developing the course, the experience of special operations was taken into account — in particular, repelling drone attacks on the Black Sea.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Timkiv
Image source: iz.ru
Crews are already receiving additional weapons: heavy machine guns, anti-drone and pump-action rifles, night vision devices and other special equipment.
In addition, the navy is currently working out tasks for the collective defense of bases from attacks by unmanned boats and UAVs.
Anti-ship protection control points are being created at the naval bases of the Russian Navy. They will be used to control the repulse of attacks by air and sea drones. These command centers, where all information is received, will help to maximize the use of forces in protecting bases from enemy attacks. Rapid-fire artillery installations are also installed along the perimeter of the bases in convenient places for firing at air and surface targets.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Fedorov
