The domination of drones in current warfare has created a surge in demand for counter drone solutions. How do you stop them or neutralise them completely ? Different strategies are on offer depending on the size and proximity of the incoming threat.
This video explores the various options available:
For the small preprogrammed and First Person View drones most frequently found in the Ukraine conflict, the first reflex is to shoot at it.
Then there’s the EW – Electronic Warfare – solution. By intercepting the signal between the drone and the controller, the defender can take control of the incoming drone and either bring it down safely or send it flying off in the wrong direction.
For larger UAS, the immediate first response was to intercept them with guided missiles that could track and detonate them. But these weapons were designed to defend against incoming missiles, and have a price tag in the millions.
The Interceptor drone is now highly successful and widely used. It’s a fairly blunt instrument that just knocks the intruder out, but the latest models include precision guiding tools and cameras for FPV operations. The most frequently deployed is a copter-type aerial drone with vertical take-off.
Laser anti-done weapons both solve the asymmetric cost equation and should make it easier to swat drone swarms. Even against a $20,000 dollar drone, a laser beam at $5 per shot is good value.
The arrival of drone swarms on the battlefield signifies an exponential increase in the threat. In turn counter drone systems will have to up their game to contend. That means ever more sophisticated control systems to direct swarms of interceptors and coordinate ground and airborne laser defences…
Source: YouTube