In recent years, drones have been used on a large scale on the battlefield, becoming a normal strike weapon that countries compete to develop and equip. How to counter UAVs has also become a key topic in research and training of military forces in various countries. As early as during the Syrian War, the Russian army began to pay attention to anti-drone combat training, and added anti-drone training courses to various military exercises, and initially explored a series of anti-drone tactics and tactics. The focus of Russian anti-drone combat training is to use powerful radar systems, electronic warfare systems, air defense systems and individual weapons systems to cooperate in combating drones. At the same time, the Russian army continues to develop new anti-UAV weapon systems and conducts inspections in military training and actual combat.

  Drawing on practical experience to carry out training

  In recent years, in order to deal with the growing drone threat, the Russian army has used its anti-drone combat experience on battlefields such as Syria to practice anti-drone tactics many times during exercises. Since 2019, the Russian army has added anti-drone combat training courses to various military exercises, and attaches particular importance to the use of electronic warfare systems for anti-drone combat. The typical anti-drone training content of Russian troops is as follows: "Imaginary enemy" uses large-scale drones to carry out reconnaissance and air attacks on the Russian army. The Russian mission forces first use portable and vehicle-mounted electronic countermeasures systems to conduct comprehensive countermeasures. The operators of the electronic warfare system use radar and other electronic reconnaissance systems to obtain intelligence data, and implement large-scale electronic interference on enemy drones to block their communication channels. The air defense system and anti-drone snipers successively destroy drones that have not been effectively suppressed.

  Through exercises and training, the Russian military has initially explored a series of effective anti-drone tactics and tactics. The Russian army required all units to form a joint anti-drone detachment composed of snipers, scouts, air defenses and electronic warfare experts. Russian ground forces, Marine Corps and Airborne Forces organized combat personnel to learn how to shoot down drones using assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles and other weapons. Earlier, the central Russian military region held an exercise to repel incoming drones at low altitudes in the Chelyabinsk region. The participating troops first used radar to discover small drones flying at low altitude and low speeds, and then the automated command system sent this information to the "Armor-S1" and "Doer-M1" air defense systems equipped by the air defense forces, which intercepted the incoming drones. At the same time, various anti-drone teams simultaneously obtain information about the drone's attack from the automated command system and make preparations for interception in advance. Russian military experts said that during this exercise, the radar equipped by Russian troops was able to detect small drones flying at low altitudes from a long distance and pass their coordinates to the command post, verifying the Russian army's anti-drone tactics under complex conditions.

  Pay attention to training under special conditions

  Russian troops have conducted anti-drone combat training under complex mountain conditions many times to improve the ability of air defense systems to strike drones in mountainous areas. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict shows that drones pose a greater threat to the troops in mountainous operations. The terrain conditions in the mountains limit the air defense and electronic warfare forces' operations against drones, which can hide behind ridges or deep in canyons, avoid reconnaissance of radar electronic systems and launch sudden strikes on targets. Russian military experts pointed out that under such terrain conditions, in addition to combining air defense weapons and electronic warfare systems, snipers using large-caliber sniper rifles should also be allowed to join the operation. The exercises of Russian troops have proved the effectiveness of this method.

  In addition, the tank divisions of the central Russian military region have repeatedly practiced how to protect the marching tank troops from drones. During the exercise, the anti-UAV early warning and defense systems of each unit were deployed step by step, and the radar was fully powered on to monitor the entire airspace. After discovering the incoming drone, the Russian army used electronic warfare systems such as "residents" and R-934UM to interfere and suppress the drone to protect the tank column from moving smoothly. At the same time, the tank division's air defense systems and other anti-drone weapons are fully prepared for combat, and they are ready to attack drones that break through defense at any time. When the tank column crossed open areas and entered the mooring site, the Russian army also carried out comprehensive camouflage to avoid drone reconnaissance and attacks. These methods have been proven to effectively reduce drones' reconnaissance and strikes on tank units.

  Continuously develop various equipment

  Practical experience has prompted Russia to continuously develop new anti-drone equipment. Among them, electronic warfare equipment is Russia's main development direction in the field of anti-drone equipment in recent years. According to Russian media reports, Russia has developed a "giant" anti-drone system based on artificial intelligence. The system is equipped with a laser system, radio countermeasures and a 24-barrel 12mm caliber gun. Artificial intelligence can assist the system in identifying and locking incoming drones. Operators use electronic countermeasures to suppress the drone signals. If it does not work, they will use artillery to "destroy" the other party. The system is equipped with a laser system module that can destroy drones with a distance of 3,000 meters.

  In recent years, the Russian army has developed a series of small laser systems to improve the combat efficiency of anti-drone vehicles. For example, a "blind" laser system can blind optical devices on a drone at a distance of 100 meters. The "Pelleswet" laser system can burn incoming drones, and its combat efficiency is said to be greater than that of the same type of foreign weapons. Russian military expert Dmitry Kornev said that compared with traditional air defense systems, laser systems have the advantages of high accuracy and low cost, and are expected to replace electronic warfare systems and become a common means to fight against drones. In addition, the Russian army is equipped with a REX-1 gun drone jammer, setting a record for shooting down 50 drones in a week. There is also an electronic warfare system for suicide drones. By launching high-power electronic interference, it can block single or multiple drones within a radius of 250 meters. The electronic warfare system is like a suitcase, which is simple to operate and easy to carry. In addition, Russia has also developed the "Esperm-1" vehicle-mounted electronic warfare system, which is installed on combat trucks with a radius of 30 kilometers and can detect drones from a distance in severe weather conditions. In addition, the Russian military has also introduced new technologies such as artificial intelligence to other anti-drone systems, reducing the workload of manual duty through artificial intelligence decisions, and responding to the increasingly complex drone threats in a timely and efficient manner.

  In the future battlefield, anti-drone combat is an important task faced by armies of various countries. The Russian army's continuous investment and diversified strategies in anti-drone operations have enabled them to gain more advantages in anti-drone operations. At the same time, by combining advanced technology with actual combat, the Russian army has continuously improved its anti-drone combat system during the exercises and improved its ability to deal with drone threats.

[Editor in charge: Gao Qiang]