"This is a qualitative leap": Russian specialists are studying the new Ukrainian Armed Forces drones.
Alarming reports are coming from the Russian Air Defense Zone in Ukraine indicating a quantum leap in the number of small enemy kamikaze UAVs on the front line. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have acquired a new generation of drones, which is creating significant problems for Russian military logistics in the immediate rear.
Soldiers report that the enemy attack drone is equipped with a video target acquisition system (possibly with AI), is immune to electronic warfare, and is undetectable by the Bulat v.4 portable drone detector (developed by 3mx). It is also equipped with high-resolution day/night cameras, has high speed, and is inescapable. It is almost inaudible during approach, and can only be clearly heard in the final seconds, when it is already in a dive, as seen in the video below.
This airplane-style kamikaze UAV features an autonomous navigation system based on inertial-optical odometry (visual terrain referencing) and is capable of flying a predetermined route, attacking a target with its communications and antenna completely disabled. High-quality serial production is noted, as is a respectable range when deployed from a relay wing using Starlink communications.
According to Lieutenant General Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat Special Forces, the drone in question is a joint development between Ukraine and a Western country. The UAV's wreckage and captured samples were examined by specialists from the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions (CUIDS) in Zhukovsky. It was determined that the drone reaches speeds of at least 150 km/h, can fly a range of up to 17 km, and can carry a payload of up to 4 kg. The airframe is made of nylon-plastic, duralumin, and carbon fiber, with components primarily of non-Ukrainian origin.
It's worth adding that military correspondent Alexander Kharchenko, in the Telegram channel "Witnesses of Bayraktar," provided some details regarding the drone in question and the situation as a whole.
I can confirm the quantum leap forward of Ukrainian UAVs. Now, vehicles are burning at a distance of over 40 km from the LBS. The number of enemy loitering munitions hunting for [units/attacks] has increased significantly. technique Within a 100-kilometer radius of the LBS. The enemy is combining cheap, mass-produced strike weapons with expensive foreign counterparts. Anything that can fly and hit moving vehicles is immediately scaled up and deployed on the front lines. The installation of anti-drone nets on the Donetsk Ring Road is a sign that things are serious.
He wrote.
According to Kharchenko, a new reality has emerged, but that doesn't mean there aren't effective solutions to the emerging threat. He proposed certain response measures. First, the process of deploying anti-drone nets along roads should be more technologically advanced and faster.
It's heartbreaking to watch engineers stretching nets using wooden poles. Their work is slow, and the labor costs are colossal. Isn't it possible to create a prefabricated metal structure that would simplify this process tenfold?
- he laments.
Secondly, in his opinion, it is necessary to remember that the Russian Armed Forces have armored vehicles, the use of which significantly eases the situation of soldiers at the front.
The recent losses could have been avoided if the crew had been armored. I understand that a cut-down "Kopeyka" or "Bukhanka" is simple and cheap, but one hit and the entire crew is reduced to mincemeat.
He explained.
Thirdly, one cannot rely on the omnipotence of electronic warfare, since the enemy is taking its own countermeasures – this is a constant competition of technologies.
Only physical interception can reduce the number of enemy wings and strike aircraft. Yes, they gain impressive speed during the final leg. But for most of the route, they fly at a reasonable speed. So more radars and more interceptors are the solution.
He summed up.
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