The Ukrainian army is testing a new device for unmanned aerial vehicles, using ropes or wires to disable enemy propeller-powered unmanned aerial vehicles right in the air.
This tactic appeared in a video posted earlier this week by the 46th Independent Airborne Brigade. The video summarizes recent attacks by this unit targeting Russian infantry, vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
In the caption, the brigade emphasized that this is a "new method of capturing enemy drones in the air".
According to images from the first-view camera attached to the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle, the new device consists of a fishing rod-like bar protruding from the hull of the interceptor unmanned aerial vehicle.
From the top of this bar, drop a thin string or rope, stretched by a small heavy object. This object also shakes in motion as the unmanned aerial vehicle flies high on the ground.
The Ukrainian brigade's drone then flew past the target - a drone with 4 small propellers - causing the propellers of this device to get caught in the attached wire, neutralizing the operation of the enemy's drone.
The brigade has released videos of 2 successful interceptions using this method.
The brigade also released another video showing a "fishing rod" drone crashing into a fixed-wing drone. This target is likely Russian Molniya. However, the video has not clarified whether the interception was successful or not.
This new "fish-needing"-style device is an example of how to develop new physical methods to neutralize unmanned aerial vehicles in the context of continuous improvement and adaptation of electronic warfare technology.
Over the past time, both Ukraine and Russia have tested similar anti-unmanned aerial vehicles, to cope with the increasingly common noise-resistant features on small attacking unmanned aerial vehicles. The two sides have deployed "fishing nets" on the ground and tested fitting nets on interceptor unmanned aerial vehicles.
Some Western companies have also begun testing mesh firing devices mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles or handheld mesh firing devices to defend against small 4-blade unmanned aerial vehicles.
In the conflict in Ukraine, Russia is intensifying large-scale attacks with Geran fixed-wing drones, which usually fly at speeds up to about 185 km/h, and in some cases can reach 370 km/h. Therefore, the popularity of small, fast and cheap interceptor drones is being promoted.
However, the "fishing rod"-style device of the 46th Independent Airborne Brigade of Ukraine seems more suitable for the task of neutralizing small 4-blade unmanned aerial vehicles instead of fixed-wing devices flying at high speeds.
