DroneAid Volunteers Develop DRONOLAW Active Protection System Against FPV Drones

The international volunteer initiative DroneAid is developing the DRONOLAW active protection system, designed to neutralize FPV drones using nets.

Vadym Vasylenko, a representative of DroneAid, told Militarnyi about the system’s features at the Future Forces Forum in Prague, Czech Republic.

The system consists of a central detection unit and a rotating drum with launch containers. An optical detection module with a thermal imaging camera is mounted at the top, while a ring-shaped platform with angled mortars for firing nets is positioned below.

The system can scan a 360-degree area in five seconds, providing all-around protection for vehicles or positions. Its detection range for aerial targets is up to 100 meters.

Drones are intercepted at distances of 10 to 20 meters by firing nets that entangle their propellers.

The thermal imaging camera allows the system to detect targets around the clock. This enables it to counter both conventional radio-controlled drones and fiber-optic FPV drones.

The system features optical stabilization, allowing it to be mounted on armored vehicles, motor vehicles or unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) without compromising image quality while moving.

According to the developer, the system was created in response to the emergence of fiber-optic FPV drones, against which electronic warfare systems are ineffective.

“We tested various detection systems, from sound to conventional cameras, thermal imaging cameras, lidar and radar, and concluded that a thermal imaging camera was the most suitable option,” Vasylenko said.

Development has been underway for about a year and a half, and the system’s first tests took place in Germany.

The developers are now preparing the system for trials at a military training ground in Ukraine.

The team has set a minimum interception rate of 70% as the success criterion for moving to the stage of deployment on the front line.