(Dan Tri) – Ukraine has invested heavily in the production and improvement of drones, but Russia is hindering Kiev’s efforts to gain control of the skies.
Ukrainian soldiers use drones (Photo: Getty).
Taras Chmut, director of the Come Back Alive Foundation that supports the Ukrainian military, said that Ukraine’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators face two main challenges on the battlefield after more than two years of conflict.
Mr. Chmut said that members of Ukraine’s drone control force cannot simultaneously launch dozens of UAVs from the same front line.
`The second problem is that adversaries can jam conventional frequencies with typical electronic warfare equipment designed for this mission. That’s why experienced operations teams will search and
According to expert Chmut, `this allows them to work with more drones simultaneously.`
Samuel Bendett, an expert at the US-based Center for Naval Analysis (CNA), said that wherever there is a gap in electronic warfare, drones can be deployed.
`It all depends on whether the UAV can fly at a frequency that is not interfered with by EW equipment,` said expert Bendett.
EW is part of the tactics that both Russia and Ukraine are deploying to deal with each other’s widespread drone fleets, especially first-person perspective (FPV) drones that are increasingly common.
EW systems can interfere with drone targeting, jamming signals from satellites that guide drones to targets.
Earlier this week, a Russian military blogger said that Ukrainian FPV drone operators `changed the frequency and ordered industrial production with this changed parameter from foreign factories.`
`Our electronic warfare systems are not always effective against drones,` the Russian blogger admitted in a post on Telegram.
Expert Chmut said the ability of UAVs to withstand electronic warfare equipment depends on the type of equipment deployed by the enemy, including the frequency they are using.
Another Russian military blogger said on March 5 that Moscow’s FPV drones were being `suppressed by our electronic warfare systems` around the eastern city of Avdiivka, with only about
According to expert Bendett, Ukrainian sources also claim that the Russian military has switched FPV drones to a frequency different from that commonly used by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems, especially
Experts said both sides believe the other is producing more FPV drones, but it is difficult to determine the true number.
Russia has ramped up drone production, pouring resources into expanding its inventory of low-cost FPV drones.
Russia’s FPV development has probably `grown exponentially,` Bendett said in mid-December, and Moscow is now likely to receive tens of thousands of FPV drones each month.
Ukraine has also carried out a number of fundraising activities to promote drone production, especially FPV.
Operation Unity has raised funds to deliver thousands of drones to units in Ukraine’s armed forces, special forces, national police and security services.