The Association for Scientific and Production known as NPO Kaysant, has reportedly developed an anti-drone gun that can neutralize up to 90% of the unmanned aircraft used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine [AFU] in the North-Western Military District. This piece of information was revealed by NPO Kaysant to TASS.
Displaying a form factor similar to a traditional firearm, the anti-drone gun NPO Kaysant created can be carried on the shoulder, offering familiarity in its design to the average person.
The gun operates across seven frequency ranges, disabling a vast number of drones—up to 90% of those utilized by opposing forces in domains designated for special operations. NPO Kaysant pointed out that this includes a wide range of commercial drones, aircraft-type devices, and first-person view [FPV] drones.
Addressing the question of why current anti-drone technologies are unable to suppress 100% of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAVs], the spokesperson for NPO Kaysant explained to TASS that the use of seven frequencies is the current maximum. Across international waters, particularly in China, there may be technologies that operate on expanded frequency ranges.
However, such technologies do not yet exist in the Russian market. As they stressed, while the gun is very effective, it does not claim to neutralize all drones. It remains impossible for any single gun to achieve 100% UAV suppression.
The credentials of the product were further laid out. The anti-drone gun weighs in at 5.5 kg, with a maximum suppression range of 1.5 km and operational time of up to 1.5 hours. “Plans for delivering to the Special Forces [SVO] are ongoing as the product is a new development. Official tests have been conducted and deemed successful,” the organization added.
NPO Kaysant previously declared the development of a mobile station for electronic warfare [EW], called Argus-Antifuria, aimed specifically to inhibit the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles.
In early October, a report by BulgarianMilitary.com divulged that an extensive acquisition of Chinese civilian drones had been made by various commercial networks to buttress the defensive capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces in their standoff with the Russian military. The deployment of 2,000 Chinese “leisure” drones will serve to augment intelligence gathering, and surveillance operations, and refine the precision of artillery fire.
An announcement about this matter was made by Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, which was relayed on Twitter [recently rebranded as X]. Mr. Fedorov revealed that almost 2,000 units of the Autel EVO MAX 4T drone are being drafted into the Ukrainian drone fleet for frontline deployment.
Outfitted with an artificial intelligence-driven feature, these drones possess the capability to autonomously detect and monitor target objectives. The inclusion of such high-grade data intelligence will ultimately yield enhanced operational outputs from unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV] striking forces. In a succinct conclusion to this announcement, accompanied by a video showcasing the procured drones, Fedorov stated, “Stay tuned.”
In an unprecedented move in 2020, Ukraine’s leader, President Volodymyr Zelensky, announced the inception of an innovative project known as the Drone Army. In a bid to amass a significant drone arsenal, the global crowd-funded initiative has been launched with a prime focus on military utility.
The program enables the procurement of ready-to-use drones and simultaneously stimulates the development and production of advanced, locally-produced flying machines. This avant-garde initiative embodies a joint venture between Ukraine’s burgeoningly fresh state defense corporations and their counterparts in the private sector.
Taking a unique tack, Ukraine has adeptly repurposed civilian and hobbyist unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] for active military combat against Russian troops. The drones, originally intended for non-aggressive functions, have been retrofitted with rudimentary release mechanisms and armed with grenades. This resourceful application of technology facilitates the ability to target trenches and efficiently strike armored conveyances via open fixtures.
The transformative use of technology doesn’t halt there. On top of the grenade-wielding drones, Ukraine has also introduced larger quadcopters outfitted with hefty explosives and rocket-propelled grenades [RPGs]. The tactical intent here is to inflict considerable annihilation upon the Russian armor.
Concerning Russia’s role, the forthcoming months of the Ukrainian conflict will reveal the potency of their newly implemented Kaysant anti-drone technology. Regardless, it remains apparent that Russia retains the capability to intercept a substantial number of Ukrainian airborne unmanned systems.
A restatement of information presented on BulgarianMilitary.com reminds us that an analysis performed in May of the current year of Russia’s frontline warfighting proficiency estimated a monthly interception of approximately 10,000 Ukrainian drones. This assertion comes from a British report cited by Obektivno.bg.
The report, issued by the United Kingdom’s Royal United Services Institute, emphasized the essential role electronic warfare plays in Russia’s strategy, a factor contributing to the shocking depletion of Ukrainian drones.
These statistics, indicating an average of 300 drone occurrences per day, are sourced from off-record interviews with three Ukrainian officials conducted in April and May.
The report does not distinguish the types of drones targeted. However, James Patton Rogers, an esteemed Professor of Military Studies at the University of Southern Denmark and a recognized authority on unmanned aircraft, disclosed to Insider that chiefly low-cost, compact commercial drones, utilized for surveillance, made up the majority of losses.
Professor Patton Roger iterated the magnitude of drone application in Ukraine based on the findings, referring to it as “a pioneering confrontation between drone technologies”.
While Patton Rogers stated that the figures are probably inflated, it brings to light the advancement and efficiency of Russia’s electronic warfare in negating the prolific usage of drones in Ukraine.
An investigative piece by the Royal United Services Institute outlined that an expansive electronic warfare unit is stationed on every 6th mile of a roughly 750-mile-long conflict frontier, located approximately 4 miles from the front. Primarily catered for incapacitating drones, these units are strategically positioned, reveals the report.
The report points out intricate Russian systems like the Shipovnik AERO jamming station, praised for their elusive nature and signal duplication capacity, pose a formidable challenge, as per researchers.
Source: Bulgarian Military