Russians Start Installing Traffic Lights Against FPV Drones: How Effective Are Such Detectors

Russians have started installing traffic lights against FPV drones: how effective are such detectors Angela Figin

The Defense Forces have a system set up on many sections of the front that makes it possible to effectively counter enemy drones. However, the enemy is not standing still either.

The Russians are developing various early detection systems for FPV drones. Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the 92nd separate assault brigade's strike battalion “Achilles”, told Channel 24 about this, noting that the enemy is trying to close itself off from Ukrainian drones.

How effective are drone detectors

Thus, the Russian invaders have developed a traffic light that can warn of the flight of FPV drones. The Russians place them on poles near important routes of movement of equipment.

Probably, the traffic light works like an infantry detector, which has an analyzer of the operating frequency range, designed for early detection of FPV drones. In addition, the detector on the pole can have a sound analyzer that detects the operation of drones by the sound of their engine.

The Defense Forces also actively use various drone detectors, in particular “Salt”, “Sakharok”, “Cinnamon” and others.

“We do not use the “Sakharok” detector, because they react to the entire background that is opposite, and the detector is constantly working if something is in the air. There are other more effective means,” Fedorenko noted.

Drone detector

– a device that allows you to effectively detect the approach of various types of enemy drones.

What is special about fiber-optic drones

The enemy has a fairly serious network of electronic warfare equipment of various kinds. In particular, the centralized production of portable electronic warfare equipment that suppress from a wide range of frequencies and are installed on lightly armored and armored vehicles.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are increasing their capabilities to hide from enemy drones. However, there are still means to which neither electronic warfare means nor electronic reconnaissance means are adapted – drones on fiber optics. They differ significantly from drones that are piloted by transmitting a signal through the air on a certain frequency range.

When a regular drone gets into the zone of influence of a portable electronic warfare system, the signal is interrupted and we lose either video or control of the drone and it is used ineffectively. When a drone with optical fiber flies, a thin thread unwinds behind it, along which control and video are transmitted, but this thread cannot unwind far, as unmanned systems work, said the commander of the strike battalion of the Achilles UAV.

In his opinion, in the spring of 2025, the Defense Forces will have the required number of drones with optical fiber. In addition, Fedorenko noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have reached parity with the enemy in FPV drones, and in some places even have an advantage. Only in certain areas does the enemy have an insignificant advantage.