Russia has deployed the first-ever drone carrier to deliver First-Person View (FPV) kamikaze drones behind Ukrainian lines. For the first time, Russia used a larger “mothership” drone to carry and launch smaller FPV kamikaze drones. The carrier drone serves multiple roles: it transports the smaller drones closer to Ukrainian targets, acts as a communication relay, and performs reconnaissance. By extending the range of the FPV drones, which typically have limited battery life, this system allows Russian forces to hit targets deep in enemy territory.
On September 16, Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka reported that Russian forces used this system to strike a Ukrainian unit located 40 kilometers behind the front lines. The carrier drone provided visual surveillance, control, and video relay to guide the FPV drones to their targets. This is the first time such a system has been documented in the conflict.
Russia, for the first time, has reportedly deployed a ‘drone carrier’ to deliver FPV drones deep behind Ukrainian lines.
According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian military hit a Ukrainian unit with FPV kamikaze drones launched from a reusable ‘mother UAV’ approximately 40 km… pic.twitter.com/mEZEae3YyF
— EurAsian Times (@THEEURASIATIMES) September 17, 2024
In addition to the drone carrier system, Russian forces have reportedly developed new techniques for drone-on-drone combat. According to Defense Express, some Russian drones are now equipped with nails designed to damage the rotors of enemy UAVs, potentially bringing them down without a midair collision.
Drone-on-drone combat, while still relatively rare, is becoming more common in Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine are developing new tactics to take down enemy drones, and this is leading to new forms of aerial battles. Ukrainian forces have experimented with using long threads and small weights to tangle the rotors of enemy drones, even capturing some as trophies.
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