Disassembling the approaches: the new system will cover strategic facilities on the far approaches

Russia has developed a protection system for industrial and defense facilities that allows monitoring the area around them within a radius of 60 km. The first defense circuit includes stationary radar stations and control posts with thermal imaging and video equipment. On the far approaches, UAVs monitor the air and ground situation. Experts note that such systems will be especially needed to protect oil refineries, chemical plants and airfields.

Echeloned defense

The new system is designed to protect and defend important social, infrastructural or military facilities. It consists of two echelons. The close circuit includes permanent monitoring points with multifunctional radar stations and control posts with thermal imaging and video equipment. UAVs with night vision systems and thermal imaging cameras are used to monitor the long-range surveillance zone around the facility.

The involved equipment and UAVs can control not only the airspace, but also the situation on the ground.

In particular, "Svarog-14" drones can patrol the terrain, being in flight with all the necessary equipment for at least two to three hours. To increase the area of patrolling heavy UAV "Truck" can act as a signal repeater for "Svarog".

- This allowed us to achieve "seamless" surveillance of a large territory at a distance of more than 60 km from the control center, - Oleg Fedorov, General Director of the FROBOTICS development company, told Izvestia.

Another UAV "Svarog-35" can be used not only as a surveillance platform, but also as a system for suspending three or four anti-drones.

FPV-drone "Dobrynya Nikitich" can carry 12 kg of payload

Photo: FROBOTICS press service

In addition, this UAV can be in patrol or reserve mode. Once suspicious UAVs, terrorists or saboteurs are detected, it should immediately fly to the spot.

- This significantly increases the speed of response to the threat and reduces the risk of damage to infrastructure and the facility itself," explains Oleg Fedorov. - And, of course, it makes it possible to destroy an enemy "bird" on the approach to the protected object.

According to him, the system can be potentially reinforced with air platforms of airship type or heavy quadrocopters. They could become carriers of small radars, REB systems and anti-drone fighters.

Systematic approach

It is important to qualitatively conduct comprehensive tests of complexes, confirming their effectiveness. Onlyafter that can they be used to protect important facilities, military expert Dmitry Kornev told Izvestia.

- In such cases, the system is deployed around some object, after which they simulate an attack on it by one or another means," he explained. - Based on the results of these tests, we can already judge the effectiveness of the development.

Military expert Yuri Lyamin told Izvestia that the primary targets of the enemy's attacks and sabotage are fuel and energy complex facilities, in particular oil depots and oil refineries, as well as airbases and airfields.

- Now the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on them," he said. - These are large and important facilities, and if they are hit even by small means, such as UAVs, there can be serious damage. Experience shows that the most important facilities should have a multi-level defense system using different detection and destruction systems. The very idea of creating an echeloned defense using radars, drones and surveillance systems is a good one. It can be useful for the defense of oil depots or airfields.

Photo: TASS/Russian Ministry of Defense

The expert reminded that when developing any security or weapon systems, it is necessary to find a reasonable balance in terms of such an indicator as "cost-effectiveness".

- It is important that the used drones, radars and other equipment not only give the desired result, but also cost acceptable money, - he said. - If this condition is met, the system will be in demand and will certainly be useful.

Special units to fight against UAVs

Now special attention is paid to the protection of rear facilities important for the defense of the country. Earlier Izvestia wrote that the Russian Armed Forces are creating special units to combat UAVs, which will protect warehouses, storage bases and arsenals.

Already now air defense officers are engaged in determining the number of observation points and firing points. And representatives of the logistics system of the Russian Armed Forces are working on issues of logistics support for the troops - from uniforms to special weapons for the fight against drones.

The enemy has already tried to attack our rear facilities with UAVs more than once, Colonel Alexander Perendzhiev, associate professor at the Plekhanov Russian Economic University, told Izvestia.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky

- Such units are needed both on the front line and in the rear. Now it is important to develop a comprehensive system of arsenal defense, not only to arm fighters with anti-drone rifles," the expert said.

He also reminded that we have not only anti-aircraft systems, but also UAVs that can shoot down drones. The latter can guard military facilities, moving along a certain route, detect enemy UAVs and destroy them.

The expert noted that such tactics have already proved their effectiveness in the combat zone, and now they should be applied in the rear areas when protecting strategically important facilities.