Andrii Pavlovskyi, a Ukrainian engineer best known for developing one of the first “drone shotguns,” has recently turned his attention to a far simpler system. Initially dismissed as unpromising, the device has since proven effective against Russian reconnaissance drones, FPV drones and so-called ambush UAVs left loitering along roads to strike passing targets.
The system, called Aero Trawl, does more than destroy enemy drones: it enables their capture and recovery for Ukrainian intelligence. Patented and listed on the Brave1 Market – a decentralised procurement platform for Ukrainian forces – each unit costs just UAH 800 (around US$18.50).
Aero Trawl is a purely mechanical device with no onboard electronics. Mounted on a quadcopter with a 10- to 15-inch frame, it resembles a miniature sea trawl. Instead of a conventional net, it uses vertical high-strength slings that entangle an enemy drone’s propellers. The system weighs only 300 g, far less than interceptor shotguns, and has minimal aerodynamic impact. It can be attached in about a minute and is deployed from take-off.
Once an enemy drone is detected visually or by radar, an operator launches the carrier UAV, ideally equipped with a thermal camera. Multiple approaches can be made until capture.
“At the moment of capture, the Russian pilot has no idea what is happening,”
Pavlovskyi said, noting the slings are nearly invisible until it is too late. The system is intended solely for defensive use over Ukrainian-held positions.
Pavlovskyi drew on the experience of the Russians and the Ukrainian team Dronarium, which experimented with capturing a drone using a net in 2015. The experiment followed a viral video from Japan showing local police practising the capture of intruding drones.
Several hundred Aero Trawls have already been issued to frontline units for training and tactical development. Pavlovskyi says one unit downed 14 Russian UAVs in 15 sorties. Production remains limited, as he assembles each unit himself, but a single minimally trained worker could produce up to 10 per day.
With Russian ambush drones costing up to US$1,500 and larger reconnaissance platforms far more, Pavlovskyi argues the economics are clear:
“The Aero Trawl costs about US$20.”
Source: Ukrainska Pravda