As more and more Iranian kamikaze drones are used by Russia in the Ukrainian battlefield, Ukrainians have also entered anti-drone mode. In order to effectively deal with the drones or cruise missiles launched by Russia, Ukraine has opened the whole country, that is, it informs the Ukrainian army of the trajectory of the drone or cruise missile through an APP, so that the Ukrainian army can shoot it down.
The Ukrainian State News Agency reported on the 26th that the co-developer of the app, Gennadiy Suldin, posted on social media on the 26th that the first combat application of ePPO was on October 22nd. After the incoming Russian Caliber cruise missile, it notified the military through this app and successfully assisted the Ukrainian army in shooting down the missile. According to Suldin, given the characteristics of the terrain, the missile flew so low that it was invisible on radar. However, a few vigilant citizens spotted the missile and immediately notified the military using ePPO. The Ukrainian air defense unit obtained the location within a few seconds and shot it down with the “Needle” portable air defense missile without much difficulty. The Ukrainian Ministry of Strategic Communications also said a few days ago that the app will help provide Ukrainian air defense forces with additional radar information on air targets and improve the chances of intercepting and shooting them down.
In the face of the drone attack provided by Iran, Ukraine also turned to its nemesis Israel for help, but was categorically rejected by the Israeli authorities. But that doesn’t mean Israel stands idly by about Ukraine’s situation. Ukrainian armed forces are already using ultra-sophisticated systems to intercept Iranian drones, according to Israeli media reports.
Reports say Israel has supplied Ukraine with a “smart shooter” anti-drone system. These systems are equipped with “smart sights” that can detect the location and type of drones and destroy them with small arms. Their work is controlled by artificial intelligence to achieve “one-hit kill”. The smart shooter system is very compact. The standard weight is about 75 kg and the height does not exceed 1 meter. However lightweight versions can be used on rifles and even machine guns.
According to the company Smart Shooter, the system is more than just an optical sight. This is a high-tech independent fire control system. Its dual-core computer features sophisticated ballistic processing to identify, track and strike air (drone) and ground targets with unparalleled accuracy. Judging from the video released by the company, the system can be installed on a small weapon with a special bracket to become an automatic remote-controlled weapon station. Soldiers can use the weapon to strike moving targets, such as drones, within a certain distance through wire control.
Although the Israeli media said that it can strike down Iranian drones, it remains to be seen whether Iran’s drones can be shot down, given their relatively large size and far from being comparable to other countries. In addition, judging from the video released by the company and the pictures of the German army testing the system, the targets of the attack are commercial drones, not military drones or cruise missiles. The system not only has a ground version, a lightweight version and an air version. The system has been used by Israel in actual combat before, successfully dispelling protests from Pakistanis, but the use of sponge balls is not live ammunition.
Israeli media said the system was installed on light aircraft and drones to destroy Iranian drones in Ukraine. Ukrainian media said the Ukrainian command had not officially commented and needed to verify the information.
Israel has steadfastly refused to supply Ukraine with weapons since Russia went into full-scale war, apparently not wanting to disrupt relations with Russia. All official requests from Kyiv for the supply of air defense systems were answered by Israel, which was not yet ready. Instead, Israel has focused on providing medical aid to Ukraine. Since last spring, 85,000 tactical first aid kits, four armoured ambulances and at least 15 million tonnes of medicines and medical equipment have been delivered.
Ukraine and Israel are beginning a path of cooperation, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Oct. 26 in comments on Israel providing intelligence on Iranian drones that Russia used against Ukraine. In addition, Israeli President Isaac Herzog presented evidence to U.S. officials at a meeting in Washington on October 25 that Russia used an Iranian drone to strike Ukraine.
It also reported that Ukraine’s current anti-drone defense system consists of three layers: fighter jets constantly patrolling, anti-aircraft missiles fired from the ground, and swarms of soldiers armed with machine guns trying to shoot down flying drones. A Ukrainian fighter pilot, code-named Juice, said the past two weeks had been a busy and exhausting air battle against Russian drones for the Ukrainian military. Locating the drone is the most challenging aspect, Juice said. The bulky little drone could be mistaken for a truck on the road or a migratory bird on radar. Ground controllers directed the aircraft to intercept possible targets, although the pilots often failed. It remains to be seen whether this smart shooter system will bring any changes to Ukrainian anti-drone operations. (Power Talks the World/Zhang Mi)