How Ukrainian Soldiers Rig their FPV Drones with Explosives
Photos that showed up online this week offer an up-close look at Ukrainian troops attaching deadly explosives to their drones before flying them off to Russian targets.
The photos, which also show the operators in action, highlight the continued and growing prevalence of drones on both sides of the battlefield.
This past weekend, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shared photos on Telegram of what was identified as a Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) drone unit from the 53rd Mechanized Brigade outside Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast. In the photos, the FPV drone has been equipped with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warhead and is flying toward its presumed target.
Other photos show an FPV operator from the unit wearing goggles and preparing to control the drone, as well as a soldier attaching an explosive to another drone. The drones, which are basically cheap hobby-style racing drones, are often equipped with things like RPG warheads or plastic explosives, and the payload is sometimes hastily attached with a simple adhesive.
The photos offer an interesting look at the process troops go through, from preparing the drone for flight to rigging it with its explosive payload. They also speak to the larger, constant presence of drones on the battlefield. These systems provide enhanced situational awareness through persistent surveillance, as well as tools for offensive strikes.
Both sides heavily employ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), flying cheap systems into asymmetrically high-value targets like tanks and fighting vehicles or using higher-end systems to drop bombs on unsuspecting targets.
Both Ukraine and Russia have created large drone forces, and over the course of the war, operators have developed impressive skills, particularly the Ukrainians, who have used drones to chase down tanks, trucks, and even a lone soldier on a motorcycle.
Top Photo: Ukrainian FPV drone unit from the 53rd Mechanized Brigade, launching RPG warhead armed FPV munitions towards Russian positions in Donetsk Oblast.
Source: Business Insider
