Ukraine war: The rise of FPV drones and Russian jammers

FPV drones have become symbols of the war in Ukraine. They are simple yet effective solutions if the opponent lacks proper defence measures. They cause such terror that the Russians have developed personal jammers mounted on helmets.

Both Ukrainians and, to a lesser extent, Russians are trying to use FPV drones massively to attack not only vehicles but individual soldiers as well. These drones are stripped-down versions of DJI Mavic drones. Essentially, only the frame, electric motors with rotors, a camera, and often an enlarged battery remain.

Then, an explosive charge is attached to such a drone, which can be PG-7VL anti-tank grenades, bomblets taken from cluster munitions, or old hand grenades. Two pieces of wire are often used as a detonator, which, when in contact, close the electrical circuit, causing the explosion.

Defence against these drones is achieved through systems that jam the control signal or means that enable their physical destruction. In the first case, jammers are becoming increasingly popular, mounted on tanks and shaped like backpacks.

Now, the Russians have introduced an ultra-light jammer designed to be mounted on weapons or helmets. Due to its size, its range will likely be limited, and it is most likely tuned to specific frequencies. Considering previous instances of Russian jammers, this model may also be based on modules from AliExpress costing over $330 CAD.

Depending on the chosen option, they offer jamming frequencies from 433 MHz to 5.8 GHz. Theoretically, they can be effective, but only until the opponent changes the control signal frequency, which has happened more than once. Then, such a jammer becomes just unnecessary weight.

There is also the issue of the electromagnetic field's harmfulness to the human body. In the case of such field jammers, there is no question of meeting safety limits imposed, for example, on transmitters or 5G base stations. With these field jammers, having the most extensive possible range and power at any cost is the most important thing.

The second, more reliable method of eliminating drones is their physical removal. In the case of improvised solutions, shotguns in the hands of experienced shooters or special modules on weapons, such as SMASH from the Israeli company Smart Shooter, are gaining considerable interest and are fairly effective.