In recent years, with the rapid development and widespread application of UAV technology, UAVs have become an important threat on the modern battlefield. Especially in the zone of the special military operation of the Russian army, the enemy drone swarm is like a "disturbing mosquito", frequently hovering over the positions of the Russian army, causing a lot of pressure on the Russian army. Not only are these drones elusive, but even in the face of previously effective electronic warfare systems, they now frequently malfunction, straining traditional means of defense.
1. The diversity of drone threats.
The frequent activity of enemy drone swarms poses a great security threat to the positions of the Russian army. These UAVs can not only conduct reconnaissance at high altitudes, but also carry explosives for precision strikes. What is even more a headache for the Russian army is that these drones tend to be extremely mobile and concealed, and it is difficult for traditional air defense systems to effectively strike at them. In particular, those small, highly maneuverable and precision-guided drones, such as FPV drones, are even more tricky for the Russian army.
2. Limitations of anti-aircraft missiles.
While anti-aircraft missiles are an effective means of destroying large UAVs, the use of anti-aircraft missiles is often greatly limited for those UAVs that are small, highly maneuverable. On the one hand, small UAVs tend to fly fast, have strong maneuverability, and are difficult to lock on to anti-aircraft missiles; On the other hand, the use of anti-aircraft missiles to strike small UAVs is not only costly, but also prone to accidental damage. Therefore, for the Russian army, it has become a top priority to find a means of defense that can effectively combat small UAVs at a moderate cost.
3. The potential of multi-barreled anti-aircraft guns.
In this case, multi-barreled anti-aircraft guns became a means of defense that attracted much attention. This ** not only has a fast rate of fire and strong firepower, but also can strike at multiple targets at the same time, which is very suitable for dealing with UAV swarms. However, it is regrettable that the Russian army does not make it mandatory for troops to use multiple anti-aircraft guns to counter the drone threat. This may be due to the doubts of the troops about the combat effectiveness of multi-barreled anti-aircraft guns, or for other reasons.
Fourth, the new vitality of old equipment.
It is worth mentioning that the old equipment of the Soviet period "Shilka River" self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, after upgrading, has been given a new lease of life. This self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is not only equipped with a more advanced radar, optoelectronic guidance system and digital fire control system, but also with the "Needle" portable anti-aircraft missile system, which gives it a range of up to 5 km. In the war in Afghanistan, the self-propelled anti-aircraft guns "Shilka River" showed excellent combat performance. After upgrading, this old equipment has regained its strong combat effectiveness and has become an important part of the Russian army's response to the threat of drones.
5. The Enlightenment of Western Equipment.
At the same time, Western countries have developed similar equipment in response to the drone threat. For example, the German "Gepard" anti-aircraft tank is a very successful piece of equipment. This anti-aircraft gun uses an advanced fire control system and guidance technology, which has a significant effect on combat UAVs. The Russian army can draw inspiration and experience from this Western equipment to further improve and develop its own air defense system.
6. The New Direction of the United States.
In the development of field anti-aircraft artillery systems, the United States took a slightly different path. Their focus was on the six-barreled cannon, which has an extremely high density of fire and rate of fire, which is ideal for dealing with swarms of drones. Although this kind of ** has high technical requirements for operators, its strong firepower output capability is undoubtedly a very effective means of defense in the face of UAV threats.
7. The rise of new machine guns.
In addition to the six-barreled cannon of the United States, Russia has also developed a new type of multi-barreled cannon - the GSH-6-23M six-barreled aviation cannon. This cannon has a caliber of 23 mm and an extremely high rate of fire of up to 10,000 rounds per minute. At the same time, it weighs only 76 kg, which is very light and can be installed inside the bodies of various armored personnel carriers and trucks. This cannon has a potential advantage for clearing swarms of drones, especially in the face of a large number of small drones, whose high rate of fire and density of fire are capable of quickly crushing a swarm of drones.
8. Innovation in radar systems.
In addition to the improvement of ** equipment, Russia has made an important breakthrough in radar systems. They have developed, tested, and put into production a compact radar system for tracking FPV drones. This radar system has a high degree of sensitivity and accuracy, and is able to detect and lock on to targets in a short time, providing strong support for the air defense system of the Russian army.