The Drone Revolution: Five Anti-drone Tactics To Lead The Future of Air Combat

The rise of anti-drone technology comes as drones have become game-changing weapons on the battlefield. In recent years, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (Uavs) has accelerated in various conflicts, and the aerial threat they bring has prompted countries to rapidly develop effective countermeasures. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, both Ukraine and Russia have carried out innovative applications of UAV technology, especially in the air defense and anti-UAV tactics. The launch of these anti-drone tactics not only demonstrates the advancement of technology, but also foretells a change in the mode of warfare in the future.

The rapid development of UAV makes it perform well in reconnaissance, strike and other fields. However, with the deepening of its tactical use, Uavs have also become the target of enemy attacks. In this case, the diversity of anti-UAV tactics is particularly critical. A common tactic is to use the UAV directly to physically collide with an enemy UAV. This tactic is rare in actual combat, but it was used effectively in the war between Russia and Ukraine. By dropping small bombs or hitting them directly, Russian drones have managed to shoot down enemy drones and protect their positions.

In addition, modern drones can also carry a variety of weapons, such as small arms and bombs, to directly attack incoming enemy drones. The effectiveness of this tactic is that the highly intelligent UAV can react quickly through the automated system to ensure the accuracy of the attack. At the same time, the ability to use airborne weapons to meet aerial threats is also one of the important directions for the future development of UAV technology. With the continuous iteration of technology, future Uavs may have stronger autonomous combat capabilities and higher levels of intelligence, and the efficiency of anti-UAV tactics will also achieve a qualitative leap.

The emergence of electronic warfare UAV is also one of the major innovations in anti-UAV tactics. By interfering with the signal transmission between the enemy UAV and the control station, the EW UAV can effectively block the communication link of the enemy UAV and make it lose control. This was demonstrated in Iran's successful capture of a U.S. drone, demonstrating the importance and effectiveness of electronic warfare. In the future, with the continuous development of electronic warfare technology, there will be more efficient electronic jamming means, which will provide a more powerful guarantee for anti-UAV tactics.

In addition, the use of drones to temporarily set up "aerial minefields" as a countermeasure is also an innovation that has attracted much attention. The UAV can place blocking balloons or umbrellas on the activity trajectory of the enemy UAV, and use these physical obstacles to intercept the target. This measure is not only low-cost, but also easy to operate, and can effectively resist the attack of small Uavs. Especially in urban environments, the use of such covert tactics will increase the survival risk of enemy Uavs and provide more solid support for protecting important targets.

The diversification of UAV anti-UAV technology will undoubtedly reshape the landscape of future air combat. In this process, military research and development institutions and enterprises in various countries should strengthen the research and development of relevant technologies to improve the countermeasure capability of Uavs. Actively explore the effectiveness of new tactics, combined with the needs of modern warfare technology iteration will become the key. In addition, when formulating military strategies, countries should also consider the coordinated operation of Uavs and anti-Uavs, so as to realize the effective combination of defense and attack. With the evolution of the war mode, the future battle will not only be a contest of confrontation, but also a contest of wisdom of technology and tactics.