Drones with fiber optics – it's the latest innovation in the arms race between Ukraine and Russia. By means of an optical cable, they are connected to the operator. The Russians used them for the first time a year ago in the Kursk region, and now Azov and other Ukrainian brigades use this technology. It has a whole range of advantages compared to wirelessly controlled drones, he reports Deutsche says.
"When a wirelessly controlled drone flies over a hill or tries to land there, the signal and control are lost. And this drone continues to transmit images - regardless of the terrain configuration," one of the pilots from the "Azov" brigade codenamed Laplace explains to DW.
Advantages and disadvantages of fiber optic drones
The movement of wirelessly controlled drones can be jammed, and their video signal can be detected by the enemy. Fiber optic drones are considered safer – at least for now. However, they also have a weak point. Fiber optic cable is hard to detect and extremely durable - like nylon fishing line. But if it gets caught somewhere, say on a tree, it can break and the drone will lose connection.
The Ukrainian pilot says that these drones have another drawback: "If the cable hangs or gets tangled in branches or grass and is not directly on the ground, it is very noticeable in sunlight, especially at dawn or dusk." That way, the cable can easily be traced back to whoever is flying the drone.
This, he says, has happened before: while a Ukrainian unit was operating drones from the basement, the Russians discovered the shelter and attacked it – fortunately, without casualties.
Drone pilots know that they are inherently valuable targets. One of them, with the code name Bold from the "Hartija" brigade, told DW: "There are different types of ammunition - for tanks and others. There are also different cylinders with cables - of different lengths, depending on the targets to be attacked. If the target is not more than ten kilometers away, those smaller cylinders with cables are used."
Corded drones take longer and require more effort to prepare than radio-controlled ones. But that's why their use allows a wider view of the battlefield. "When we started using drones with optical fibers, we discovered that there were machine gun nests, ammunition magazines and motorcycles very close to us, which we did not expect," the platoon commander of the "Hartija" brigade, codenamed Aristocrat, told DW.
Fiber optic drones can also enter buildings. "They fly through rooms, corridors, between offices. You can even see in detail what's drawn on the walls - and that's something a regular drone can't show," Bold explains.
"Our goal is to destroy the enemy"
In addition, drones keep the enemy at bay. "When we receive an order, for example: 'Kill a soldier on a motorcycle,' we then turn on the drone to eliminate the enemy," says the Ares battalion commander from the Hartia brigade.
It's a new Russian tactic – soldiers on motorcycles are trying to break through the Ukrainian defense line. Small, fast-moving raiding parties replaced large armored assaults. To repel them, the Ukrainians use kamikaze drones, as well as heavier ones, for bombing.
"Our goal is to destroy the enemy by all available means. In order to have a tactical advantage we have to be one step ahead of the enemy in development, to rely on the latest technology, to quickly introduce novelties and find new solutions," says Ares.
Fiber optic drones are the latest innovation on the front line. And it certainly won't be the last.
