MODERN FPV DRONE WARFARE – Nowhere to Hide

The Ukraine/Russia conflict has shown one thing, and that is there is nowhere to hide anymore on a battlefield. Modern FPV drone warfare has changed warfare on the battlefield forever.

FPV drones are the harbingers of supreme death to those on the battlefields of Ukraine, as these explosive machines piloted by drone experts hunt down soldiers with no mercy wherever they go.

Trenches, ruined buildings, forests, tanks, armoured vehicles, and camouflage mean absolutely nothing now.

Drones zip in and out of thickets, buildings, windows, and trench openings to mete out terrible damage to human bodies and armour.

Drones are frequently equipped with warheads designed to penetrate armoured vehicles, often utilising existing rocket-propelled grenade components. Some configurations use fragmentation or high-explosive charges intended for use against infantry or unarmoured targets.

Adapted mortar rounds are also used for larger-scale strikes, depending on the lifting capacity of the drone.

Various explosive devices are used depending on the specific mission, such as targeting logistics centres or communication hubs.

Soldiers cannot outrun drones, motorcycles and other vehicles cannot outrun drones, and Russian tanks costing millions of dollars explode with gusto into the Ukrainian skies, blown to smithereens by a drone that cost less than $5,000.

Ever seen a Russian soldier blown in half by an FPV drone? It is not a pretty sight but one that is occurring multiple times daily, or by the hour. Some Russian soldiers choose to put a bullet in their brains as they hear the drones buzzing around them. It is better to go out in a way of one’s choosing.

This is the cold reality of modern warfare, where FPV drones find their targets like bluebottle flies find dog turds. The poorly equipped Russian orc conscripts have no chance.

The Russians have tried jamming technology, but this has minimal effect, and there are limited numbers of jammers available to a military that is limping along as it throws soldier after soldier into the Ukrainian meatgrinder.

One of the most effective methods the Ukrainians are using involves drones that pay out a thin spool of fibre-optic cable as they fly. Because the control and video signals travel through a physical wire rather than the air, they are immune to radio-frequency jamming.

The range is typically between 3 and 12.4 miles (5–20 km) and provides crystal-clear video which is undetectable by electronic sensors.

The Ukrainians are also using smart drones which use onboard artificial intelligence to complete missions if they enter a jammed zone. A pilot may guide the drone toward a target, but once it gets close and the signal begins to drop (the last mile), the AI identifies the target and autonomously steers the drone to impact.

Systems like Eagle Eyes allow drones to navigate by comparing live video feeds to pre-loaded maps, removing the need for GPS, which is easily spoofed or jammed.

Technicians modify drones to use non-standard frequencies that Russian jammers aren’t currently scanning. Some advanced drones can rapidly “hop” between frequencies to find a clear channel mid-flight.

Ukraine also uses larger drones as flying relay stations. These mother drones hover at high altitudes, receiving signals from a pilot and re-broadcasting them to the smaller FPV drones below, which helps overcome ground-based jammers.

Russian forces have suffered approximately 1.2 million casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) and as many as 325,000 killed since February 2022. There is no let-up from Putin as he sends more and more Russian bodies into the Ukrainian drone killing fields. The endless war will go on and on as more fresh meat is presented to the ruthless FPV drones, where mercy for the invaders is void.

There is nowhere to hide. The genius of modern FPV drone warfare is that it is cost-effective and brutal at the same time.

When this war spreads across Europe. The same thing that is happening in Ukraine will be happening in Europe.