Technology

The air defense will not be enough: how else it is possible to protect Ukraine's energy from shahd and "lancet"

Experts propose the use of HRs, special drones and balloons so as not to allow Russian strikers to power plants and other important facilities. In September 2023, Russia resumed strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which could again lead to mass power outages. The focus was interested in experts how to protect critically important objects from shock drones Shahd and Lannti.

In September 2022, Russia was first used by Iranian shock UAVs Shahd-136 and Shahd-131 to attack Ukrainian cities, and in October focused on energy infrastructure. Since the spring of 2023, the invaders stopped such attacks, but resumed before the new heating season. As a result of a massive shelling on September 21, light in five regions of Ukraine disappeared.

This time the injuries were caused by rockets, but it is possible that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will again target their drum drones at the power plant, which still launches on other facilities. PJSC "Centrenergo" reported that it is building protective structures in its thermal power plants, which should protect them from the wreckage of missiles, UAVs and other objects. However, in addition to physical "armor" there are other ways to protect critical infrastructure from drones.

The Armed Forces serviceman, communications specialist and radio electronic fight (HR) Sergey without a Claus Flash sees the following decision: investing in the HRS, as is done all over the world - to buy and put equipment on the balance of enterprises, and transfer to the military department . According to him, since the beginning of 2023 it is in full swing to Russia, covering the objects of critical infrastructure.

Sergei Flash assures that the means of EWC can interfere with Iranian shock drones like Shahd, if they are many and are properly located. There are appropriate developments in Ukraine, one of the manufacturers of "point" shows good results in this direction. In the event, there are such technologies, but it is unknown how they will approach Ukrainian realities. "Since ShahED is completely autonomously flying over long distances, the task is not to let it be guided.

If everything was simple, they would not have been flying. We can only fight them with the means of the ERB, or aircraft, or mobile groups that track them and plant them with machine guns. Just three methods, no one has come up with anything anymore " , - said the military. In his opinion, there is no sense to protect the power plants in Kiev, because instead of the shahad target it can hit a neighboring residential building.

If the infrastructure object is located in the countryside, as far as possible from residential buildings, it is better to close it on four sides - this should be enough. In this way, ShahED will lose the connection with the GPS satellite to the station through radio electronic obstacles and start to circle in the air until it is released or fuel is over in the tank. "It is an opportunity to close a object locally. If we could close the" big "big area, it would be cool.

Here it is done now by Russians - in Moscow and Moscow region tightly mounting the systems of EWS so that our drones can not fly into the territory of the region completely losing the connection there. They expect that, covering the Moscow region, they will not allow the strikers to fly to Moscow, " - said Sergei. The focus was also talked with the developer of radio electronic struggle and the founder of the volunteer project "Antidron Ukraine" Sergey Gerasimyuk.

According to him, ShahED proved to be a "strong opponent" for Ukrainians, because Iran, his manufacturer, a rich experience in confrontation with Israel and his means of electronic wrestling. With such drones with the help of EWC, you will not do anything especially, because they will fly according to the given coordinates in the mode of radio teaching, and they can be effectively knocked down only by kinetic air defense systems. However, the expert voiced another interesting option.

Theoretically, having an unmanned aerial vehicle with equipment that allows coherently to replace coordinates (dynamic purfing), and by directing it with echelon above, you can take Shahd into a small -populated area and land on the "belly". Otherwise, the drone, falling under the influence of the remedies, will continue to fly due to the inertial navigation system, and then adjust the route for GPS "but there were no such cases Much more expensive than air defense missiles.

And in practice, such a solution, of course, loses financially, because losing board with equipment for $ 100,000 - these are realities that need to be taken into account. But the whole country is not covered with air defense complexes, and in the future such an idea is entirely You can develop, " - said Sergey Gerasimyuk. Serhiy Gerasimyuk also voiced the idea with meteorological probes - bullets that are inflated with helium.

They could be tied to objects on the ground, lifted into the sky with small complexes of the EW to suppress ShahED navigation from above. The engineer stressed that in theory it can work, but it is not yet known how appropriate it is in terms of resources and organizing the process. Judging by the recent blow on the air base in Kryvyi Rih, Russians can use drones "Lancet" for blows to infrastructure in the frontal area, launching up to 100 km from their positions.

According to Sergei Beskrestnov, ShahED is more devastating because it carries more explosives, but Lancet can work more point and promptly. In the case of "lancets", the remedies of the ILs show more efficiency than with ShahED, since the first is controlled by operators and they depend on communication. "Any unmanned apparatus has an algorithm if he loses a navigation signal, he does not understand where to fly, but has something to do.

It usually turns on a system of internal orientation that can not accurately impress the target," Sergei Flash said. In April, Sergei Flash wrote on Facebook as the remedies can suppress "Lacets". According to him, it is possible when the drone flies in the sky in search of a goal, but if it can aim, it is almost impossible to avoid the impact. The fact is that the drone will continue to dive down at a certain angle, even in the event of a loss of communication with the operator.

Serhiy Gerasimyuk said that Russian "lancets" to suppress much easier than "Shahmed", it is possible even from the ground, the main thing is to have something. Such remedies are relatively inexpensive, but only in Ukraine there are not enough, and you will not buy abroad, since the barrel ammunition uses non -standard frequency ranges and the principle of action.

It is possible to put "dome" of radio electronic obstacles against "lancets", but Sergey Gerasimyuk doubts the effectiveness of this approach. The fact is that such drones have several modes of work and algorithms, depending on the situation and type of UAV-Navidnik, this role is most often played by Zala and Orlan-10.

In order to be guaranteed to neutralize the "lancet", it is necessary to "stuff" both the barrier ammunition and the drone reconnaissance, which usually has good optics and flies at a very long distance, where there are no obstacles. "The dome protection at the right range is effective to 600-700 meters.

That is, the Reb-dome against Lancet is technically possible, but given the above moments-it is not guaranteed protection against the word at all, and it will give a sense of false safety,"-said Sergei Gerasimyuk.

He added that "Lancet-1" and "Lancet-3" are completely different apparatus, and the latter appeared which Russians showed as part of an information and psychological operation (IPSO) with a large number of propaganda "throws" (fakes) about technical Characteristics, principles and algorithms of action.