Ukraine's drone innovation: Redefining modern combat tactics
Ukrainians use drones for various tasks, including pairing micro-drones with armoured vehicle crews. While this concept is still futuristic in the West, Ukrainians are already testing it in combat conditions. We present the advantages of this solution.
Drones in Ukraine are used as a replacement for virtually everything and as a performance booster for other types of weaponry. A good example is the use of a micro-drone by the crew of a captured BTR-82A armoured personnel carrier, which allows them to shoot farther and more accurately than usual. This concept of pairing drones and vehicles will only appear in next-generation military equipment.
Below, you can watch the shelling of Russian positions along a tree line, where Ukrainians attempt to hit a soldier with a flashlight from a distance of over 2.4 kilometres. Normally, a shooter sees very little at such a distance, but here, the commander can guide him by marking hit points visible, thanks to tracer ammunition.
Besides increasing the accuracy of the shots, it reduces ammunition consumption, making the onboard supply last longer. Furthermore, fewer shots fired means less barrel wear, which extends its lifespan. This is a crucial issue for captured equipment, for which the availability of spare parts is virtually non-existent.
BTR-82A - strongly armed Russian taxi
BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers with an unmanned turret armed with a 30 mm 2A72 automatic cannon are the latest vehicles of this type in the Russian armed forces. This cannon poses a serious threat, but Russians are experiencing problems with the quality of the barrels and ammunition.
During one of the official demonstrations, they could not hit an old M113 just about 91 metres away. Possibly, after loading some high-quality ammunition from Bulgaria, it performs better. Ukrainians have captured many of these carriers; better examples are used on the front line.
The BTR-82A has been in production since 2011. It is an advanced modernization of the BTR-80 carrier, which was produced after the BTR-90 model was deemed too complicated and costly. The new version is distinguished not only by its weaponry but also by a stronger engine with 300 horsepower.
The armour of this eight-wheeled carrier is made of steel less than 10 millimetres thick. Theoretically, its interior should be lined with Kevlar, but no traces of such lining were found during the inspection of a damaged unit at the MSPO 2023 fair. Such armour offers only protection against artillery fragments and small arms fire, but at close range, an FN FAL rifle with tungsten-core armour-piercing ammunition can easily penetrate it.
The BTR-82A crew consists of three people, and the carrier can transport seven infantry soldiers. However, due to losses on the Russian side, BTR-82As are becoming increasingly rare, being replaced by older models such as BTR-60/70 and even BTR-50. Additionally, Russians are using motorcycles, bicycles, Chinese golf carts, and other civilian vehicles in their assaults.
