Russian military researchers have published a counter-drone swarm system design that would spray a large amount of fragmented munition to destroy incoming threats, RIA Novosti revealed.
The system diagram shows a multi-barrelled weapon station on four horizontally interconnected telescopic rails installed on a quadcopter.
How It Works
Citing the document, the outlet wrote that the system hovers over a protected object. As its sensors detect an incoming swarm, they signal the “electric capsules of the charges of the multi-barrel combat module,” leading to a discharge of a volley of fragmented ammunition toward the swarm.
The system’s net of fragmented ammunition would shield targets such as military vehicles and sensitive installations at a fraction of the cost of current counter-drone systems such as “air defense, electronic warfare, barrage systems, fighter and army aviation, [and] small arms,” according to researchers from the Military University of the Ministry of Defense.
The effort to develop economical and effective counter-drone swarm systems runs in parallel to the work Russian military developers are putting in to develop drone swarm systems.
Drone Swarm Control
In November, Russian defense firm Kronshtadt unveiled a drone swarm control system at the Dubai Airshow 2021.
Five systems can be installed on a single airborne or shipborne platform with each controlling four Kronshtadt-made Orion unmanned aerial vehicles for a total of 20.
The autonomous drone doesn’t require direct operator control, setting “general goals” of the system. AI handles the main tasks such as “drone flight control, systems management, target tasks, and ensuring interoperability inside drone swarms.”
