Summary

The war in Ukraine has become a testing ground for military technology, showcasing the capabilities of new weapon systems, specifically drones or UAV. Not only does this give an insight on how to effectively employ these UAV weapon systems, but it also creates an opportunity to observe and develop countermeasures using real-world data. This article contains simple and tested counter UAV measures that have been battle proven to increase survivability form UAV threats in a hostile environment.

Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

“The development of unmanned systems is my priority. We are looking for asymmetrical solutions to gain a qualitative advantage over a numerically superior opponent.” – Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

(Reference: Syrskyi names UAV use development his priority in war with russia | Ukrainian news (ukranews.com) )

Drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), have revolutionised modern warfare by providing unprecedented capabilities for surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeted strikes. Their use allows for real time intelligence gathering and minimising the need to risk human life on various missions. As demonstrated in Ukraine, UAS can hover over targets for extended periods to offer persistent surveillance and can be equipped with precision-guided munitions for surgical strikes that reduce collateral damage. Despite these capabilities, there are counter measures that can be put in place to increase survivability.

Effectively hiding equipment, weapons, and the number of personnel in a position may result in your position not being considered a priority and decrease your chances of being fired upon.

• Prepare and disguise your positions as much as possible.
• Set up backup positions, add new shelters, and create false targets.
• Camouflage everything – trenches, people, vehicles, and equipment from all angles.
• Use local materials and camouflage nets that match the landscape. Completely cover your equipment and its silhouette.

Decoys distract attention and force the enemy to use valuable time and resources. Decoys can include:

• Fake machine gun or mortar pits.
• Vehicles.
• Trenches and positions facing the wrong direction.
• Use of light in a tactical setting to draw enemy fire.
• Creating false phone and table clusters away from position.

While trenches are hard to hide, there are measures you can take to avoid detection:

• Cover with the original topsoil.
• Utilise relief lines on the terrain to minimise outline.
• Avoid square edges – there are no straight lines in nature.
• Disguise all entrances so that they do not look like ‘black holes.’
• Cover entrances so UAVs cannot fly inside.
• Ensure trenches are covered, particularly at the edges of the trenches. Use nets for light munitions or metal chain link nets for heavy munitions.
• Cover trenches with thermal blankets to effectively reflect infrared.
• Create multiple trenches to minimise clustering of personnel.
• Cover ventilation pipes to avoid ammunition being dropping into them.
• Prepare trenches or conduct engineering works at times when the enemy typically conducts less reconnaissance, including at dawn or dusk or in strong winds or rain.

Fixed routine kills.

• Avoid trampling new paths, use the natural landscape or existing trails.
• Avoid open movement in populated areas and use hidden routes that are difficult to see from above.
• Move only if it is absolutely necessary.
• Avoid moving in groups.
• Disguise movement using natural objects, such as trees, and maintain spacing between troops.
• Hide your shadows from UAV. Remember that in the morning and in the evening your shadow is longer and is clearly visible from the UAV.
• Do not make sudden movements – these are very noticeable.

• Armoured vehicles should not remain in the same hide for an extended time.
• Have alternate entry points for each hide.
• Vehicle unloading points should be 300-1000 m from the main position.
• Dig trenches at the point of unloading in case of attack, and a camouflaged protected area where cargo can be stored.
• When establishing a vehicle hide or halting your vehicle for an extended period of time, ensure it is concealed from the UAS threat above using canopy cover from trees where possible.
• Close the hatches. Open hatches look like a black square and are easily identified by UAS.
• Utilise friendly UAS to observe own position from above to find weak points and correct mistakes.

• Move radios away from your exact position and cover with a camouflage net.  
• Hide radios in a pit, if possible, to protect from incoming fire and shrapnel, but make sure to place on a stand to protect against water.
• Ensure all phones are in flight mode and turned off to prevent the enemy finding out how many people are in the position.
• Some enemy UAVs are equipped with radio reconnaissance systems that use clusters of mobiles, radio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals to calculate your position.

• Constant monitoring of the ‘air’ is a basic safety requirement. It allows for quick detection and response to enemy UAV.
• Drones are hardest to detect during the day at a height of 100-300 meters. It is likely they will be heard before they are seen.
• Optics and radio scanners will assist in detecting UAVs at a considerable distance.
• All objects in the air should be perceived as hostile until identified as friendly.

• Do not run to your positions if you see an enemy UAS as this will identify your position to the enemy. Instead, move to cover along predetermined routes.
• If an enemy drone hovers low above you, you have been spotted and are at risk. Take cover immediately.
• Seek cover with walls where possible.
• If no cover is available, move quickly. Changing the direction of movement every 7-10 meters and running in a snake pattern will decrease the accuracy of a munition drop.
• Shooting down a UAV with small arms requires multiple weapons to create a ‘cloud’ of fire and maximise chance of impact.
• Do not touch a fallen UAS as it can be mined.