Russian recon drones start performing evasive maneuvers to avoid Ukrainian FPV interceptors

As Ukraine advances with FPV interceptor drones, Russian UAV operators are adopting new tactics to evade these countermeasures.

Oct 30, 2024 - 01:00

Russian recon drones start performing evasive maneuvers to avoid Ukrainian FPV interceptors

russian recon drones start performing evasive maneuvers avoid ukrainian fpv interceptors zala reconnaissance drone maneuver interceptor drone's attack

According to a report by Militarnyi, the Russian reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have started performing evasive maneuvers when approached by the Ukrainian first-person-view (FPV) interceptor drones.

In recent months, Ukraine has downed nearly a thousand Russian reconnaissance drones, crippling Russia’s situational awareness and limiting the effectiveness of its missile and artillery systems that depend on real-time corrections. In response, Russian forces are adopting countermeasures, such as camouflaging drones to blend with terrain and marking them with Ukrainian insignia to deceive air defenses and improve survivability.

Militarnyi says footage revealed Russian ZALA 421 drones performing sudden rolls, changing course, and adjusting altitude when targeted by Ukrainian FPV interceptors. While the precise reasons for these maneuvers remain unclear, theories suggest the drones might utilize rear-facing cameras or radio signal detectors, potentially activating pre-programmed evasion algorithms.

The operation of these drones remains unclear, with one unconfirmed theory suggesting they are equipped with rear-view cameras. These cameras may detect approaching threats and trigger pre-programmed evasion algorithms, automatically altering the drone’s path to avoid interception, as per Militarnyi

The report also notes that the repeated execution of the same maneuvers by the Russian drones when the interceptor approaches suggests a high level of automation in their evasion tactics.

Ukraine’s forces have been actively working to counter the Russian drones, which provide valuable targeting data for missile and artillery strikes. Serhii Sternenko, a volunteer crowdfunding the drone production for Ukraine’s Defense forces, has released footage of the Ukrainian National Guard’s Lastivka unit, showing a Ukrainian interceptor view of a Russian drone performing multiple invasive maneuvers.

Earlier this month, Militarnyi reported Russian drone operators testing radio interference suppression to defend against Ukrainian FPV interceptors. These experiments involved integrating signal analyzers that detect emission sources, like FPV drones transmitting video signals. Upon detection, the system activated an interference generator to disrupt targeting, enhancing UAV survivability.

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