The mass deployment of drones has become one of the defining features of modern warfare. Retired Colonel and military analyst Mikhail Khodarenok argues that Russia needs a unified and reliable UAV detection system to protect its critical infrastructure.

In an article for Gazeta. Ru, Khodarenok identified the main obstacle as the combination of small size, low speed and extremely low flight altitude. These characteristics make unmanned aircraft difficult to distinguish from surrounding objects and require new detection equipment capable of operating in a complex environment.

Some drones create an additional challenge by flying autonomously. They can navigate using images of the terrain and adjust their routes through satellite communications. Since these aircraft may operate without a conventional control channel, electronic intelligence and electronic warfare systems cannot always locate or suppress them.

Optical and acoustic sensors cannot provide comprehensive coverage. Their range is limited, while their performance depends heavily on weather, terrain, background noise and atmospheric visibility. Covering the European part of Russia alone, which spans about 3.5 million square kilometers, would require an enormous number of sensors, communication channels and power sources.

Khodarenok believes the core of the defense system should be a network of specialized radar stations capable of detecting small, low-flying targets from dozens of kilometers away. The stations would transmit target coordinates directly to an automated air defense system. Large radars already being supplied to the radio-technical units of the Russian Aerospace Forces could form the basis of this network.

Smaller radar stations could supplement the main system by closing individual gaps. They could be deployed near the line of contact, in cities, river valleys and areas where difficult terrain restricts radar coverage.

Detection alone, however, is not enough. As the number of attacks increases, cheaper interception methods are also required. Khodarenok listed army and light aircraft, mobile fire groups and kamikaze drones among the available options. Effective targeting would depend on surveillance and fire-control radars connected to a common radar field.

The analyst concluded that Russia should not rely exclusively on small, inexpensive local radars. Protecting facilities deep inside the country requires proven radar technology, a unified information network and a combination of different interception systems.