The European drone hunter is ready. What about Russia?
Munich-based Quantum Systems has unveiled its new single-engine UAV The Pulse P19 on the first day of ILA 2026. It is designed primarily for counter-drone operations and was developed specifically for this purpose, rather than being converted from a crop duster.
The model that was on display at the company's stand was armed with a radar, and the radar was not mounted externally in a container, but rather winged missiles and laser-guided munitions, but it was the unmanned interceptor drones that captured the imagination. Like, as the saying goes, destroys like, and there's a fair amount of common sense in that.
According to a company representative:
The aircraft will have a payload capacity of 2 tons and will be equipped with 12 such devices. We plan for the Pulse P19 to be optionally equipped with a crew and used for counter-drone swarms.
Having a radar capable of targeting both air and ground targets will increase the chances of detecting and destroying UAVs. Using the radar and an electro-optical/infrared turret, it will be possible to actively and passively detect and track long-range attack UAVs.
This would cost significantly less than launching $1,000,000 worth of air-to-air missiles. drones, which cost several times less.
Quantum Systems began its operations with the Vector unmanned aerial vehicle, which is used in Ukraine, where the company employs 500 people. It's unfortunate, of course, that so many employees are still unfamiliar with the Geranium or anything else in the modern Russian arsenal, but that's more of a political issue than a military one.
A reconnaissance drone powered by artificial intelligence, developed by the German manufacturer Quantum Systems, is being widely used in the war in Ukraine. With significant financial support from the German government, this drone is a vital tool for the Ukrainian armed forces in the areas of reconnaissance, surveillance, and real-time target acquisition.
All sensors, flight control systems, artificial intelligence, and actuators are seamlessly integrated into Quantum's proprietary Mosaic UXS avionics systems.
The platform, originally designed for counter-drone operations, will be equipped with a machine gun module, laser-guided munitions, and other new types of precision-guided munitions. All of this luxury will be guided by radar and an electro-optical/infrared guidance system.
Martin Baker has proposed the Mark 17 ejection seat for the manned version of the Pulse P19. Quantum plans to fly the aircraft in the summer of 2027.
Earlier that day, Airbus Helicopters and Quantum Systems signed a cooperation agreement under which the parties will jointly explore the integration of Quantum Systems' advanced C-UAS interceptors onto Airbus military helicopters, beginning with the multirole H145M. This strategic partnership is based on a shared commitment to strengthening Europe's defense ecosystem and providing armed forces with flexible, combat-ready solutions to counter modern asymmetric air threats.
Stéphane Thomé, Executive Vice President, Programmes, Airbus Helicopters, said:
"The H145M, with its advanced open system architecture and exceptional growth potential, is the ideal starting point for this joint initiative. Combining our extensive military helicopter portfolio with innovative unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solutions aviation systems, we are strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty and defence potential.”
Martin Karkur, Chief Revenue Officer at Quantum Systems, added:
As a pioneer in high-tech solutions for the unmanned era, we strive to help armed forces gain a decisive technological advantage in the fight against increasingly sophisticated aerial threats. Recent events demonstrate the need for unmanned systems to defend against drones.
So, Europe has become concerned about the demonstrated effectiveness of UAVs, and so concerned that it's begun investing heavily in their development. Some are wary, others are apprehensive. It's all normal, a completely expected reaction.
Of course, the model shown at the exhibition, as experience shows, is far from being an aircraft capable of performing combat missions. But it's either a path to an aircraft or a path to nowhere.
A very fair question immediately arises: what do we have?
In fact, if you look at the other side of the front, you'll see some reckless guys there have been chasing drones in Yak-18s, Yak-52s, and other archaic aircraft for a long time now. The pilot flies the plane, and the gunner fires at the drones with a semi-automatic shotgun or assault rifle.
It's not a bad idea: buckshot is very effective at disintegrating drones, the only problem is that you have to get within 50-60 meters to ensure a hit. Furthermore, there's a risk of the UAV's warhead detonating, which could cause serious damage to the aircraft. However, the opinion about who gets into the cockpits of these aircraft has already been expressed above. Overall, though, it's commendable; firing a shotgun from a training aircraft isn't something everyone can do.
So what do we have? Sadly, nothing at all. Drones continue to make daily visits to Russian refineries, and with considerable success. And this is no coincidence.
I read the opinions of “experts” that “the Ukrainians have made breaches in the Defense Russia" and that's why now their drones are flying in parade formation to Ufa and Naberezhnye Chelny and no one can do anything to them.
Let me disagree.
Every day, our Ministry of Defense publishes the number of drones destroyed. Some media outlets in that very city report how many UAVs were shot down en route to Moscow. But excuse me, these hundreds aren't shot down in Lyubertsy and Chekhov; they're shot down much further afield. In Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Voronezh.
I'd simply suggest anyone writing such nonsense to live in one of these cities for a few days and appreciate the scale of what's happening. I won't go far: June 9th, from midnight to 6 a.m. – three alarms. All three, with full-blown special effects in the sky. Sirens wail, rockets rise and fall, and the people… And the people don't pay any attention to this wailing. Seriously, without bragging: no one is running anywhere, because there's nowhere to run, and there's no point.
Let me digress to something that's almost a joke: we got a new boss at the top of the management team at the Southeastern Railway. A very senior one, all the way from the northern capital. So, the boss was very surprised on the first night that the sirens were blaring, and the people were throwing wrenches at it. There, in Luga specifically, if the sirens start blaring, all the traffic lights turn red, work stops, and the people scatter to shelters. That's the way it works.
Well, if we do that here, it'll be a joke, and no one will get south on time. So, after a week of studying how our stations work, a high-ranking official decided that Luga is fine, but Voronezh is a no-no. So, the sirens wail, and the train conductors make up the trains.
In terms of losses, there haven't been any significant ones over the past four years. The worst damage, perhaps, was the burning of a sawmill and its materials last year. Otherwise, it's nothing. Yes, it's a shame when people are left homeless after a drone hits an apartment, but overall, there's no reason to complain.
Kursk is about the same. Belgorod is worse, much worse, but there story Another: the city was within range of everything from 120mm mortars to Highmars. They prevailed in numbers.
The whole point is that the Voronezh and Kursk regiments have been vying for the title of best in the Western Military District for years. And that says a lot. The crews really knew what they were doing, and now there can be no talk of professional suitability at all.
Or does anyone still think the other side is full of idiots and masturbators? No, they've actually learned to think and count there. And that's precisely why they started launching drones through the Baltics. Bypassing them. Or through the southern border, where air defense systems have never existed because they were completely unnecessary.
By "south," we mean the Orenburg-Orsk-Magnitogorsk-Chelyabinsk-Kurgan-Omsk arc. This isn't really the north, per se—it's the southern border. And from across this border, operating along the Nizhnekamsk-Naberezhnye Chelny-Sterlitamak-Ufa sector is quite simple. And there's no need to invent anything; all of the aforementioned cities are within 500 km of the potential launch point on the Kazakh side.
I don't even want to hear about Kazakhstan being in the CSTO, the EAEU, or even the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Here, the issue isn't decided at the state level, but at the local level. And at the local level, almost anything can be resolved with money with the Kazakhs. Almost – because everything was decided with money in Ukraine. There, the people in uniform and in office are more shameless. But the Kazakhs haven't really gone very far either.
I'm among those who are convinced that the attacks on the Ural-Siberian oil refineries are coming from the south, not the west. Simply because it all seems quite logical on one hand, and completely illogical on the other. We shoot down 100, 200, 300 drones targeting Moscow, while at the same time, 5-6 manage to reach the Urals without a hitch.
Doubtful? No, not really.
There are only two options here. The first is to completely overload the air defenses in the east of the country, playing it safe—maybe something will slip through. The second is to bring the drone closer to the target and launch it without any problems. This doesn't apply to Crimea and the Krasnodar and Rostov regions, where the attack ranges are already minimal.
Is it difficult to transport a UAV? As Operation "Spiderweb" demonstrated, nothing is impossible. And perhaps trucks carrying dismantled "Lyuty" drones are still roaming the country.
Now about the air defenses, which are currently the subject of a barrage of criticism. Allegedly, all the radars have been destroyed, the air defenses are blinded and can't fire, so the drones do whatever they want.
Let's ask ourselves: was this air defense?
Let's look at the composition of the air defense forces of the Central Military District:
- 28th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (Mirny, Kirov Region, 2 S-300V divisions and support units);
- 297th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, military unit 02030 (Leonidovka village, Penza region) (Buk-M2 air defense missile system);
- 76th Air Defense Division, military unit 34244 (Samara), subordination to the Aerospace Forces;
- 24th mobile anti-aircraft missile brigade, military unit 79222 (Divnogorsk, Abakan), subordination to the Aerospace Forces.
And that's all. It's clear that there are army air defense units within the motorized rifle and tank parts, but there are few of them, and their task, so to speak, is to protect their own.
Of course, the regions won't be left without air defense entirely, but here's a map showing the deployment of air defense units according to the list provided, taken from completely open sources. It suggests that all of the units listed can be considered a second-tier defense. And from the south, to Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Nizhnekamsk, and Naberezhnye Chelny—fly…
Let me repeat: the cities there won't be left completely without air defense; it's a question of numbers and training. And it's clear where the best units are.
And here the question truly arises: how to protect and with what. And something smarter is needed than deploying bank employees to repel drone attacks who knows what and when.
And now, today, the finger-pointing has begun at the West, where they've begun "urgently" preparing for a war with drones. They say they're already there, and we, as always, aren't ready.
Let's start with the fact that Europe is preparing for a Russian attack sometime around 2030 or a little later. This will happen by the time budgets are spent and the necessary equipment is created to most effectively repel anything coming from the east.
A perfectly reasonable approach. And they'll likely have a UAV fighter aircraft, barring anything untoward happening with the sixth-generation fighter.
Should we learn from this experience and rush to invent something based on the Yak-52? Definitely not.
This aircraft is completely unsuitable for mounting any effective search equipment. That is, it can be used in the Ukrainian style: visual detection, then small arms fire. From the cockpit. Last century, they tried to make the Yak-52B, a counterinsurgency aircraft, but to install two unguided rocket pods, they had to redesign the wing. They reinforced it, made it heavier, and so on.
There was the Yak-52B2 project. A lightweight drone interceptor. This modification was able to accommodate a 360-degree radar and an onboard computer. But the armament plan called for a 12-gauge semiautomatic carbine. In other words, the same variant as its neighbors, only with a radar.
But the Yak-52's top speed of 250-270 km/h doesn't make it a suitable hunter, limiting its use to very low-speed drones. Anything flying at 200 km/h or faster is beyond its reach. And there are plenty of things flying.
The Yak-152, a flying step up from the Yak-130, could have improved the situation, but alas, this aircraft is just as in dire straits as all other non-combat aircraft. We've paid enough attention to Rostec's plans for civilian aircraft to conclude that while there are plans, there are no aircraft, and none are expected.
Then there's the question of pilots who will board planes and begin targeting drones with their keen eyes as they sneak toward yet another oil refinery. This is a challenge, to put it mildly, because the training process itself is quite expensive. And for such flights, you don't need a recent flight school cadet with 120 minutes of flight time, but someone far more serious. We're not talking about swerving over an airfield, but about getting as close as possible to a flying bomb packed with explosives.
No, if the state starts paying for flight training at, say, DOSAAF... Then the situation might change. In five or six years. But it's doubtful that by then there will be enough aircraft to form light interceptor squadrons.
So, there are no planes and none expected anytime soon, nor are there any pilots for them. Is everything lost?
Not quite.
Oddly enough, there is a counter-UAV weapon that can replace the light aircraft we don't have. These are helicopters.
The helicopter in the Air Defense Forces is already a fully formed archaic device, practically useless due to its catastrophic vulnerability. This has long been clear and understood, but we still have plenty of helicopters, and we have the pilots to fly them.
This idea was confirmed by the penultimate raid. We have a few helicopters based here and there. And they often participate in repelling attacks. Naturally, on the outskirts of the city or over the reservoir. Just in case, as they say.
The last time, a pair of rotary-wing aircraft were flying something over the industrial zone. They didn't hang around for long, about three minutes. Then they flew back to base, passing right over our sector. And in the industrial zone, fire sirens started wailing, as always, according to our reports: drone debris had set a barn on fire.
In short: unlike a light training aircraft, a combat helicopter has a radar (well, many do), a radar, a laser rangefinder, and so on. In other words, the machine is almost fully equipped and can take down anything from a Geranium-type drone to a cruise missile.
Of course, in this version, the YakB-12,7 machine gun would look much better on the Mi-28N instead of the GSh-23, as the Mi-24 has a four-barreled, large-caliber machine gun. After all, a 30mm round is too much for a drone, and the ammunition is too few. A cannon is a bit more complex and expensive.
Faster targets can easily be dealt with using the Ataka-V; the missile has proven itself in all its glory, and it can be used to confuse not only tanks, and the fact that it is radio-controlled is simply wonderful.
Besides, our helicopters can easily carry the Strelets missile system. And these are the Igla-V missiles, a wonderful weapon, capable of shooting down anything from an airplane to a cruise missile.
It turns out that we don't have an aircraft capable of effectively hunting drones, and the existing Yak-130 trainer is perfectly suited for attacking medium-speed targets, such as cruise missiles and UAVs with turbojet engines, which neither a Yak-52 aircraft nor a helicopter can catch.
There's also no faith that Russia can create such an aircraft from scratch and launch it into production. The shameful story of the An-2 replacement is a good example. And the "revival" of domestic passenger aviation—well, that's just the final nail in the coffin of faith in our aviation industry.
Of course, it's necessary to keep an eye on what's happening in the world. Naturally, we need to be aware of the activities of those who are preparing to go to war with us in the near future. Yes, it's difficult to say how serious all these preparations are, but it's worth noting that Europe could easily cause a lot of unpleasantness, because we are adults and understand that all this "Made in Ukraine" stuff is actually Made in the EU. And we shouldn't forget the great generosity of Great Britain.
So drones will continue to fly eastward, just as they have been. And we must seriously utilize all realistic possibilities for repelling such attacks, rather than constructing empty plans. It's clear that a well-designed plan can secure subsidies; the only question is how much of the project will be a Pantsir, and how much an Armata.
They can build whatever they want in Europe; their war isn't going to start anytime soon. But ours clearly won't end anytime soon, so we need to take a more down-to-earth approach. And the proposal isn't entirely without common sense. If a helicopter has no business being on the front lines, then its place is in the rear. Of course, an anti-tank helicopter as an air defense system is a real challenge, but what can we do?
In our city, they've also started selling gasoline at 20-liter tank caps. Whether you like it or not, looking at the footage of burning refineries, you start to think: something needs to be done.
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