Unaffected by electronic warfare: FPV drones controlled and powered via fiber optics and wires
Confrontation between FPV and electronic warfare
It is difficult to overestimate the impact that FPV-drones on the battlefield. Even though a number of military experts believe that in the near future the importance of FPV drones will decrease; there are no serious prerequisites for this, we can assume that we are only at the beginning of the development of this type of weapons.
Of course, “action gives rise to reaction,” and there are two ways to counteract FPV drones: their direct destruction, for example, with shotguns, or suppression using electronic warfare (EW).
With shotguns, everything is clear - here everything depends on the training and attentiveness of the fighters, but shotguns are difficult to cope with massive raids by FPV drones. It is only worth noting that primary detection of UAVs, including FPV drones, can be carried out by drone detectors by a characteristic radio signal, which allows fighters to prepare for an attack in advance.
Portable Drone Detector
In turn, there is an invisible war between manufacturers of electronic warfare equipment and manufacturers of FPV drones - the former are looking for ways to jam the control frequencies and video signal transmission of FPV drones, the latter are looking for ways to increase the noise immunity of FPV drones - using non-standard frequencies, installing directional antennas.
NSH
Recently appeared in open sources news on conducting tests in Ukraine of a promising German unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) HCX from the company HIGNSAT with control via a fiber optic cable. It is clear that such a UAV is absolutely not susceptible to the effects of electronic warfare; in addition, it cannot be detected by a UAV detector due to the lack of radio control signals and video transmission.
UAV NSKh - the coil and optical fiber are visible from behind the UAV
The flight range of the NSKh UAV reaches twenty kilometers, the optical fiber is quite strong - the drone can fly over rough terrain, water obstacles, trees, and buildings. If tests are successfully completed in Ukraine, NISNSAT and its partners plan to produce three thousand NSKh UAVs per month.
In fact, the use of fiber optics for munitions control is nothing new - Israel has long used fiber optic control in some modifications of the anti-tank rocket complex (ATGM) Spike ("Spike"). Information appeared in open sources about the use in the SVO zone of the North Korean self-propelled ATGM (SPTGK) "Pulse-4" with control of the anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) via optical fiber.
ATGM from Spike ATGM
Hypothetically, both Ukraine and Russia are developing UAVs controlled by fiber optics; also, presumably, there is (or previously existed) a problem in that we do not have our own production of fiber optics of the required strength.
North Korean SPTRK "Pulse-4"
However, the possibility of creating “tethered” drones is not limited to optical fiber alone. For example, the Kalashnikov concern of the Rostec state corporation announced a “quasi-mast” UAV with power and wire control. Previously we looked at the possibility of using UAVs with power and wired control as an element of the territorial air defense system (T-air defense).
Equipment lifting system "Quazimast" of the Kalashnikov concern of the state corporation ROSTECH
Returning to the German NSKh UAV - most likely, it will initially be used for reconnaissance purposes, however, the planned production volume of three thousand units per month suggests that the NSKh UAVs will be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and as kamikaze UAVs, that is, they will become the equivalent FPV drones.
FPV drones “on a leash”
The concept of an FPV drone with power and wired control was considered by the author a little over six months ago. At that time, it was decided not to publish material on this topic in order not to give the enemy food for thought; now, judging by the news, this no longer matters.
Information about the possibility and feasibility of creating FRU drones with power supply and control over wires was sent to a number of Russian manufacturers of FPV drones, including indicating one specific cable produced by Russian industry and potentially suitable for solving this problem.
Unknown FPV drone with fiber optic control
However, at that time, Russian manufacturers were not interested in the creation of FRU drones of this type - they prefer to combat the effects of electronic warfare by using non-standard control frequencies, in fact, the enemy is doing the same for now. Representatives of one manufacturer even suggested that the author was trying to sell them this cable...
Judging by open data, the effectiveness of electronic warfare equipment on the line of combat contact (LBC) has increased significantly. According to military correspondents, the enemy even has some superiority in terms of electronic warfare equipment that counters FPV drones. At the same time, information appears about the beginning of mass production of fairly advanced Russian electronic warfare systems, which should soon go to the troops.
Let’s assume that at some point the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian Armed Forces will have a certain parity in terms of electronic warfare equipment capable of fighting FPV drones. In this case, the advantage will be given to those who have more UAVs, including FPV drones that are not exposed to electronic warfare.
Now, apparently, in the near future the Armed Forces of Ukraine will have UAVs, including kamikaze UAVs, controlled by fiber optics, as a result of which the enemy will have drones that are not susceptible to electronic warfare.
The question is, will something similar appear here, and if so, when?
Russian manufacturers of FPV drones can be understood - they are trying to maximally increase the production of serial products, whenever possible ensuring their refinement and modernization with little cost. At the same time, if the effectiveness of electronic warfare systems really increases significantly, then all these measures may not be enough, and something fundamentally new will have to be done.
What if out of ten FPV drones produced, nine are suppressed by electronic warfare? What then is the point of producing a million of these FPV drones per year? Only for nine hundred thousand of them to crash to the ground before reaching their target?
Ukrainian electronic warfare complex "Bukovel-AD"
Based on the above, we can say with a high degree of confidence that we need to develop FPV drones controlled by wire and/or fiber optic cable.
Wires or fiber optics?
Which is better?
This is largely a controversial issue.
Firstly, it is necessary to understand whether optical fiber of the required strength and weight-size characteristics is produced in Russia (it will be of no use if it is strong, but has a diameter of a centimeter and weighs one hundred kilograms per kilometer), and if it is not produced, then we can Can we purchase it in commercial quantities?
It is impossible to provide power to a drone via optical fiber; accordingly, the mass of the fiber-optic reel will be added to the mass of the batteries and the weight of the drone’s payload.
However, optical fiber can transmit a signal without delay and without loss of quality over a distance of several tens of kilometers, while by wire data can be transmitted over a distance of no more than several hundred meters, however, we are talking about heavy data, for example, control commands were successfully transmitted from the launcher (PU) ATGM on ATGM at a distance of up to four kilometers.
To what distance and with what delay can a compressed video image from an FPV drone and control commands be transmitted to an FPV drone is an open question. If at least three to five kilometers, then such a solution has a right to exist.
For example, to operate at a distance of up to five kilometers, with guaranteed protection from interference, FPV drones with power and wire-based control can be used in hovering mode, providing an aerial view of the battlefield, attacking identified targets in a shallow dive, destroying snipers, operators ATGMs, armored vehicles and any other targets in the affected area.
Most likely, FPV drones with power and control by wire will be very effective as a means Defense, against reconnaissance UAVs and Baba Yaga-type bomber UAVs.
The fiber optic spool on the NSKh UAV is very compact
If the signal transmission distance is significantly shorter, then there is no point in communicating with wires. And for FRU drones designed to operate at a distance of several tens of kilometers, the use of optical fiber will most likely be the only solution at all.
It is possible that it is possible to implement a hybrid solution, when data will be transmitted via optical fiber, and power will be supplied via a wire, which will simultaneously prevent the optical fiber from breaking - everything will depend on the mass of the assembly.
Conclusions
Apparently, the confrontation between electronic warfare and UAVs, including FPV drones, is reaching a new level.
The development and production of FPV drones with control and power supply via fiber optics and/or wires will eliminate the electronic warfare factor in principle.
The enemy is already working in this direction and is presumably close to obtaining a positive result.
It is necessary to take retaliatory measures in order to prevent the enemy from gaining unilateral superiority on the battlefield in terms of FPV drones, as well as in terms of other types of UAVs.
Information