Ukraine’s recent advance into Russia’s Kursk region was marked by an intense electronic warfare campaign that successfully disrupted Russian reconnaissance drones and neutralized FPV (First-Person View) units. However, Russia has responded by deploying advanced drones guided by fiber optics, a technology that is impervious to traditional radio jamming techniques. This marks the first known use of such weapons in combat.
The fiber-optic control method offers advantages on the battlefield. Unlike conventional drones that rely on radio signals, these drones are immune to electronic interference, making them nearly impossible to disable with existing countermeasures. The continuous and high-quality video feed provided by the fiber-optic cable ensures precision strikes, as it eliminates the “radio horizon” issue, where signal loss can occur in the final moments of a drone’s flight. With cable lengths of up to 20 kilometers, and lighter options available for shorter distances, these drones possibly provide Russia with a new tool to challenge Ukraine’s electronic warfare superiority.
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#Russian forces used a new type of FPV drone, the “Vandal,” controlled via a fiber optic cable to hit a pickup truck carrying #Ukrainian soldiers in the Kursk region.
Such FPV drones are not affected by electronic warfare systems but have a limited range. pic.twitter.com/vNoEdN6TlY
— ConflictLive
(@conflict_live) August 13, 2024
The captured fiber-optic drone by Ukraine’s “Birds of Magyar” unit is currently under analysis, with the aim of adapting similar technology for Ukrainian forces. Although the concept of fiber-optic-controlled drones is not entirely new—having roots in older Soviet and modern anti-tank missile systems—its application in FPV drones on the battlefield presents a significant leap forward.
New Russian Russian FPV drone with a coil of thin fiber optic cable over 10 kilometers long.
The drone transmits digital, real-time video over a 10.5km spool of fiber-optic cable.
This kind of drone is almost impossible to stop with EW. pic.twitter.com/H58tXBNqQn
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 7, 2024
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