Ukraine drones now carry small cannons, fiber-optic cables

[Ryan]

UKRAINE’S ARMED FORCES ARE LEADING THE WORLD IN REAL-TIME BATTLEFIELD DRONE INNOVATIONS. IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO WE REPORTED ON UKRAINE’S ALL GROUND DRONE ATTACK FORCE–THE FIRST IN HISTORY.
NOW UKRAINE IS STRAPPING SHOTGUN-STYLE CANNONS TO FPV DRONES IN ORDER TO COUNTER THE UNMANNED AERIAL THREAT FROM RUSSIA.

THIS IS VIDEO OF THE FIRST RECORDED CASE OF WHAT ARE BEING DUBBED WINCHESTER DRONES INTERCEPTING A RUSSIAN MAVIC THAT WAS LOOKING TO DROP A GRENADE ON UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS.

THE FIRST- PERSON-VIEW UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A PAIR OF SMALL CANNONS, THAT APPARENTLY OPERATE SIMILAR TO SHOTGUNS; FIRING A SPREAD OF SMALL PELLETS AS OPPOSED TO SINGLE PROJECTILES LIKE RIFLES OR PISTOLS DO.

USING SHOTGUNS TO COUNTER DRONES IS NOT A NEW TACTIC. SOLDIERS ON BOTH THE UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN SIDE OF THE FRONTLINES EMPLOY THEM. WHEN THE KREMLIN COULDN’T GET ENOUGH SHOTGUNS TO ITS SOLDIERS, MANY RUSSIANS TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA ASKING FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SEND THEM.

WE’VE ALSO SEEN UKRAINE USE OTHER METHODS TO INTERCEPT RUSSIAN DRONES, LIKE DROPPING NETS OR GRENADES ON THEM, OR JUST RAMMING THEM.

BUT THE DUAL-SHOTGUN STYLE CANNON APPROACH IS NEW, AND MEANS UKRAINE’S DRONE OPERATORS COULD GET MULTIPLE INTERCEPTIONS DURING A SINGLE MISSION.

ANOTHER NEW THING UKRAINE IS TRYING: FLYING DRONES THAT ARE LINKED TO THEIR OPERATORS THROUGH A SPOOL OF FIBER-OPTIC CABLE.

THIS IS VIDEO OF ONE SUCH DRONE ON THE HUNT FOR RUSSIAN TANKS.

BECAUSE OF THE CABLE, THE DRONE IS MUCH MORE RESILIENT TO SIGNAL JAMMING WHICH MAKES PAYLOAD DELIVERY MORE LIKELY.

WHEN UKRAINE WAS PART OF THE SOVIET UNION, IT WAS HOME TO A LOT OF THE WEAPONS PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT MOSCOW RELIED ON TO BUILD ITS EMPIRE. NOW THAT UKRAINE IS INDEPENDENT AND FIGHTING FOR ITS FUTURE,
IT REALLY SHOULDN’T BE ALL THAT SURPRISING TO SEE SO MANY WARTIME INNOVATIONS COMING OUT OF THE FORMER SOVIET BLOC NATION.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON. TO SEE MORE OF OUR REPORTING ON THE NEW WEAPONS UKRAINE AND RUSSIA ARE DEVELOPING HEAD OVER TO SAN.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.