Ukraine is testing FPV drones with an emission detector for electronic warfare (EW) systems, which could trigger a new stage in the Russian-Ukrainian arms race.

A video of the drone tests was published online and shared by Russian tech bloggers.

The drone’s integrated signal receiver detects emission sources across 12 frequency bands and determines their distance based on signal strength. Side-mounted antennas identify the direction of the emitter.

All data from the built-in device is transmitted through the flight controller to the operator’s interface. Essentially, the system serves as a guide for the pilot, who manually locates the electronic warfare (EW) system based on the received data.

This system is primarily designed to detect and destroy trench-based electronic warfare (EW) suppression systems that interfere with FPV drones on the frontline. Additionally, it can assist in locating high-value targets equipped with onboard EW systems.

The drone equipped with this system retains the ability to carry a warhead, allowing it to strike the target immediately after detection.

In combination with fiber-optic communication systems, which make drones immune to electronic warfare interference, this technology could provide an effective solution for “breaking through” enemy defense and enabling the deployment of simpler and cheaper FPV drones.

Russian Telegram channels that shared footage of the tests claimed that similar drones had allegedly appeared on the frontline in recent months.

Arms Race

The emergence of fiber-optic drones in the Russian military last summer gave a new impulse to the drone war, which had previously slowed down due to the saturation of the frontline with various electronic warfare (EW) systems.

If the technology for detecting emission sources on FPV drones is fully developed, electronic suppression systems could lose their effectiveness on the battlefield, leading to significant changes in combat tactics.

Due to the lack of defense against drones, Ukrainian military engineers have already begun deploying net-protected “corridors” to reduce equipment losses in the rear from UAV strikes.

Militarnyi previously reported that Ukrainian drone manufacturer Sky Defenders had tested a new version of a UAV with a shotgun mounted on it.