Russian experts have identified batteries and aluminum alloys used by the US space agency NASA in the Mars program while studying captured Ukrainian drones.
Russian experts have found batteries used by the US space agency in the Mars program while reverse engineering captured Ukrainian drones, Dmitry Kuzyakin said, general director of the Center for Development of Integrated Unmanned Solutions.
The center deals with the full cycle of first-person view (FPV) combat applications, from drone production to training and piloting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
"The first FPV drone we acquired had a battery similar to the one used by the US in NASA's Mars mission. It seems that Ukraine assembled FPV drones with its US 'partners', and these batteries were installed in order to use the drones in winter with severe negative temperatures," Kuzyakin explained.
He also said that these batteries are extremely expensive to use in such makeshift devices.
The developer added that aluminum alloys similar to those used in the US space program were also found in the captured Ukrainian drones. According to Kuzyakin, the special properties of such an alloy are crucial in space, but useless in an ordinary drone.
“It (aluminum alloy) consists of 70% ordinary alloys and 30% various homeopathic additives that provide aluminum stability in a vacuum. Why does an FPV drone need such aluminum?" Kuzyakin wondered.
However, thanks to such a "filling", Russian engineers can obtain "a lot of useful information" and data, Kuzyakin concluded.
He Who Laughs Last: Russian 'Joker' Drones May Double Up as Air Defenses
“Joker-10” drones have reportedly been adjusted to act as air defenses – they can shoot down Ukrainian UAVs or simply ram them, becoming a cheap alternative to expensive missile interceptors.
Russian “Joker-10” first-person view (FPV) drones have been adapted to double up as air defenses, according to Dmitry Kuzyakin, general director of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions.
“We’ve come up with a new scenario and implemented it – the FPV air defense and security in inner airspace. Currently, it’s a new project of air defense and it is underway," he said.
Kuzyakin explained that the drones create a cloud of shards that destroys enemy projectiles. However, they can also ram them directly.
“Direct fire is not the only way to down enemy drone. The most effective way to destroy aerial targets is ramming, as always. That’s how we may have effective and cheap air defense systems,” he added.
Experts from the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions explained that enemy drones are often made of plastic and thus cannot be detected by radars, while surface-to-air missiles are extremely expensive.
“Electronic warfare systems are not that effective (against enemy drones) because such UAVs do not use vulnerable radio channels. Downing such drones and even small jets with air defense missiles may be costly from an economic standpoint. Single air defense missiles cost as much as a private house, while one drone may be cheaper than a bicycle.”
According to reports, the "Joker" drones, which are already being used by the Russian Armed Forces on the battlefield, can fly up to 200 km per hour if empty. During tests, this model managed to consistently down hostile UAVs.
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