Re:Quadcopters Can Now Visually Track Targets More Effectively
by PeterisP on Friday October 27, 2023 @05:40PM
(#38044366)
I believe currently most 'kills' of small drones are because of EW ('electronic warfare' i.e. jamming and spoofing, both for the control link and for GPS navigation), which causes them to crash or land in enemy-controlled location.
Re:Quadcopters Can Now Visually Track Targets More Effectively
by topspin on Friday October 27, 2023 @06:23PM
(#38044778)
> The big problem is target detection.
Generally yes, detection is hard. The Orlan-10 case, however, is easier. They can often be seen and/or heard from the ground and they are transmitting a live video feed, so their RF profile is a dead giveaway. If a fast, fox hunter counter UAV could be directed to the vicinity and then pick up the target efficiently a small crew could cover wide areas.
I imagine something like a fast, traditional airplane form with directional antennae in the wings for long range tracking, and visual tracking (as per the linked story) at short range. The actual weapon would be a small firearm: the targets are fragile.
The big problem is target detection. Small quadcopters may be able to track nearby targets, but they lack the sensors needed to detect targets at useful ranges. At a minimum defensive systems will still need large, expensive sensors mounted on ground platforms, aerostats, or larger fixed-wing drones.