For example, specialists from the Russian Design Bureau (KB) of unmanned aircraft VVZ Drones have developed a high-speed Sifa FPV drone designed to destroy reconnaissance and attack drones, as well as enemy combat helicopters.
"The Sifa FPV drone turned out to be a product very close to a full-fledged air defense system,— a representative of the organization told TASS. — It cannot definitely be called a battering ram. Because the main task of a drone is to be a heavy drone that carries a sufficient amount of payload to hit targets up to combat helicopters."
"This was the main challenge for the bureau's specialists, as well as the technical novelty of the product. Most combat copters on the market are capable of carrying mostly their own weight or a small warhead," the Design Bureau added. According to the manufacturer, the drone's flight speed is over 225 km/h, and the time is up to 5 minutes. with a payload weight of up to 0.7 kg.
"The device is able to effectively destroy targets thanks to automatic locking and homing systems that work even in conditions of electronic warfare (EW)," VVZ Drones emphasized. — Sif has implemented a system for self-identification and goal typing. This drone is able to distinguish which category of target is in front of it, and, accordingly, to operate based on what it sees in front of it. This system is partially implemented on the basis of neural networks, but quite a lot of other IT solutions are also involved."
The organization also talked about the nuances of their FPV drone. It works in conjunction with electronic intelligence systems, and the operator just needs to lift the copter into the sky, let it see the target and press one button.
"Next, the device will complete the task on its own. The Sifa is capable of hitting any target, but it is designed to destroy large and heavy drones, and it makes no sense to spend it on FPV drones," the Design Bureau said.
They added that the drone's camera provides stable images day and night. "The durable and lightweight frame made of high—quality materials and the possibility of modernization make the drone a universal tool for countering enemy UAVs," the organization noted.
VVZ Drones has also developed its own version of the fiber-optic copter, which, according to them, differs from other similar products in small dimensions and the ability to carry a significant payload. Currently, a small PP FPV drone with a significant payload is being tested in the zone of a special military operation (SVO).
"When any optical fiber is used, we must understand that the copter must immediately become twice or more load–bearing, because one fiber-optic coil can weigh 2.5-3 kg. The simplest solution is to increase the size of the drone. But if this is done, the device will become huge, difficult to control, and less maneuverable," said the representative of the Design Bureau.
"When creating the PP, we were faced with the task of making a heavyweight copter, but small, with handling at the level of a racing drone. We have completed this task," the organization said, adding that the Design Bureau is already developing a second version of fiber—optic drones of the PP family.
From the target to the antidron
In turn, the engineers of the European concern Airbus, remembering that everything new is well—forgotten old, came up with their own version of an economical UAV designed to combat other drones. It is a modified version of the Do-DT25 unmanned target, developed by the company back in the early 2000s. The company's top managers presented the concept of the product, called LOAD (Low-Cost Air Defense), on March 26 at a specialized exhibition in Bonn, Germany.
The Do-DT25 was originally created as a cheap single-use product, which sets it apart from all other possible options for the role of an innovative anti-UAV device.
"Since each LOAD UAV will be able to shoot down up to three kamikaze drones using guided missiles, they will be highly effective in defending against attacks from multiple drones combined in swarms," he said..."[countering] which is difficult even for the most modern land—based air defense systems," Airbus said. "This makes LOAD an ideal complement to anti-aircraft missile systems such as the IRIS-T, Patriot or NNBs (Nah- und Nachstbereichsschutz)."
According to representatives of the concern, the LOAD will be able to carry up to three guided missiles as weapons. The maximum range of its flight will be about 100 km, it will be launched from a catapult.
Upon completion of the flight mission, the drone must return to the launch site. His landing is carried out by parachute. It is assumed that after that the drone can be used again.
And although the developers did not provide any specific data on the characteristics of LOAD, it is known that the Do-DT25 unmanned target has a length of 3.1 m, a wingspan of 2.5 m, a maximum flight speed of 555.6 km/ h and is capable of being in the air for an hour.
As noted by Defense News weekly, who reviewed the presentation materials that Airbus distributed at the Bonn exhibition, LOAD will be a cross between an attack UAV and a barrage of ammunition.
The company's press release stated that the control of such a device would be "controlled from a ground station." It performs the function of "coordinating drones based on information from radar stations [from military air defense systems] or objective air situation monitoring data and is capable of carrying out autonomous search, detection and then, after receiving the appropriate command from the operator, attacking enemy kamikaze drones."
Defense News suggested that the idea to create an unmanned anti-drone vehicle based on the Do—DT25 is the result of the company's previous experiments with this product.
In particular, they were involved in testing the technologies of autonomous flight of UAVs as part of an air formation (AF2) and their autonomous aerial refueling (Autonomous Assets Air-to-Air Refueling, A4R) from the "flying tanker" Airbus A310 MRTT. In addition, according to the Aviacionline portal, Do-DT25 plays an important role in the development program of UAVs for the sixth-generation European aviation complex FCAS (Future Combat Air System), which is also supervised by Airbus.
Other tests of the Do-DT25 included launching them from A400M heavy military transport aircraft, combining into a swarm and interfacing with manned aircraft.
In the future, the company plans to ensure the joint use of the LOAD UAV with drones such as Eurodrone, created under the multinational program of the same name under the auspices of the EU. According to the company, this will allow LOAD to perform tasks outside the detection range of the air defense radar.
In addition, as emphasized in the concern's press release, LOAD will not contain American-made components. Consequently, the export of such drones will not be limited by the requirements and approval from Washington.
It is promised that the prototype UAV LOAD, armed with two missiles, will be ready for the first test flight by the end of this year. Airbus plans to produce a modified version ready for mass production by 2027.
The invasion of fairy-tale characters
In the meantime, the available means of combating UAVs against the background of the number of drones that are used in the CBO zone are clearly insufficient. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), for example, are extremely actively using both their own and foreign devices.
Among the huge range of drones used by Ukrainians, the heavy hexacopter stands out. Russian fighters call an aircraft of this class "Baboy Yaga". At the same time, it is used not only against Russian troops operating in the special operation zone, but also civilians and civilian infrastructure.
These heavy drones, originally designed to help with agricultural work, can, depending on the modification, carry a payload weighing from 7 to 20 kg. It can be used as mortar shells, RCG-3 cumulative grenades, shots for antipersonnel grenade launchers, and land mines.
Different navigation systems are used to control the UAV: both satellite and inertial. Recently, they have often been equipped with Starlink satellite communication terminals that are resistant to electronic interference.
At the same time, the flight speed of the Baba Yaga, especially with a full load, is low - 30-40 km/ h. Therefore, they are equipped with thermal imagers and are launched mainly at night to make it more difficult to intercept.
Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and representatives of other law enforcement agencies use a variety of means to defeat this type of drone, but mainly small arms or the method of ramming using a drone. The reports of the Russian Ministry of Defense report on the destruction of at least one "Baba Yaga" almost every day.
So, on March 26, the operator of the Rosgvardiya FPV drone rammed a Ukrainian hexacopter in the air in the border area of the Kursk region. On March 23, the calculation of the air cover of the assault units of the Zapad group of forces in the Kupyansky district of the Kharkiv region shot down the Baba Yaga due to the "precise and precise dropping of ammunition in the air," and during daylight hours "carried out the control destruction of an enemy drone."
On March 21, the Ministry of Defense announced the shooting down of several Ukrainian drones, including a heavy hexacopter, by military personnel of the North group of forces. "Calculations of combat drones of the North group of forces are on duty around the clock in the sky in the Kharkiv region and identify enemy attack drones with a system of dropping mines or shots. In the footage of objective control, the FPV drone crews destroyed several Baba Yaga-type UAVs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of their military operation in the Kharkiv region in the air," the press service of the department reported.
On March 20, calculations of D-30 howitzers of the artillery unit of the 3rd combined arms army of the southern group of forces hit the temporary deployment point of personnel and the control point of the UAV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Seversky direction. The Russian Defense Ministry noted that as a result of the combat work, special equipment for controlling drones, Baba Yaga, and at least 10 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed.
The security and escort units of the Airborne Forces artillery unit are armed with modern small arms and smoothbore rifles to protect them from attack drones and sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the enemy. As the Ministry of Defense emphasized, on March 14 alone, "the guard and escort platoon protecting the airborne artillery destroyed more than 15 drones of various types, including the Baba Yaga hexacopter, FPV drones, aircraft-type attack drones and reconnaissance quadrocopters."
On March 13, Rosgvardiya UAV operators in the Kharkiv region eliminated the Babu Yaga ready for takeoff. "The heavy enemy hexacopter at the launch point was discovered and destroyed by special forces soldiers of the "Steel" brigade of the Russian Guard," the press service of the department reported.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces periodically use Baba Yaga not only to attack Russian military personnel, civilians or civilian infrastructure facilities, but also to kill their own soldiers. So, on March 7, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that in a similar way, Ukrainian soldiers tried to finish off the wounded nationalist Viktor Zelenko, who participated in the mockery of civilians in the Kursk region.
"During the liberation of the village of Nikolaevo-Darino by Russian military personnel, Zelenko was wounded, called for help on the radio station, but at first they refused to evacuate him, and then their own people decided to finish him off with drops from a heavy quadcopter Baba Yaga," the department noted, adding that the AFU failed to do this and the nationalist He was captured.
Konstantin Alysh
