AvalonThe lethality of small drones carrying explosives has been apparent for around a decade, first emerging as a serious threat in Iraq and Syria in the battles against ISIS in 2014. However, the scale of the threat has been taken to an entirely new level following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukraine’s forces rushed systems into combat as fast as they could get their hands on them – and it quickly became apparent that large numbers of commercially produced First Person View (FPV) quadcopters and similar products had a lot of utility. They could be used for surveillance, providing vital intelligence, or equipped with explosives and flown kamikaze-style into Russian units.

They proved particularly effective in top-down attacks on armoured vehicles, particularly if any hatches were left open, as was often the case. Other sea-based drones – basically remote controlled jet skis carrying explosives – were used with great effect on Russian surface combatants, so much so that the powerful Black Sea fleet has had to largely abandon its Crimean home port of Sevastopol.

The ADF seems to have been strangely oblivious to the scale of this new threat – which is radically altering the face of combat – but fortunately Australian industry has already been developing solutions. A good case in point is Sydney-based DroneShield, which has become a global supplier of counter-drone technology, mainly to the United States.

This is an excerpt from APDR. To read the full story, click here.

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Kym Bergmann
Kym Bergmann is the editor for Asia Pacific Defence Reporter (APDR) and Defence Review Asia (DRA). He has more than 25 years of experience in journalism and the defence industry. After graduating with honours from the Australian National University, he joined Capital 7 television, holding several positions including foreign news editor and chief political correspondent. During that time he also wrote for Business Review Weekly, undertaking analysis of various defence matters.After two years on the staff of a federal minister, he moved to the defence industry and held senior positions in several companies, including Blohm+Voss, Thales, Celsius and Saab. In 1997 he was one of two Australians selected for the Thomson CSF 'Preparation for Senior Management' MBA course. He has also worked as a consultant for a number of companies including Raytheon, Tenix and others. He has served on the boards of Thomson Sintra Pacific and Saab Pacific.

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