CYIL vol. 14 (2023)

JAN ONDŘEJ CYIL 14 (2023) Russia compensates for the lack of missiles with Iranian drones. Iran has already delivered at least 1,700 of these drones. Along with the frequency of deployment of drones and their technological progress, the defence against these machines is also developing. Ukraine relies on a three-tier defence system against Russian drones. Participating in protection are patrolling fighters, anti-aircraft missiles, and soldiers with machine guns. According to Ukrainian officials, the attacked country managed to capture up to 85% of the machines. Other countries also supply drones to Ukraine, the US provides smaller Switchblade drones. Drones are also provided to Ukraine by Poland, the Baltic states, etc. In addition to foreign-made drones, both sides also develop their own machines. Ukraine works, for example, with Punisher drones from the workshop of the construction company UA-Dynamics. Russia has Lancet kamikaze drones manufactured by ZALA Aero Group. The Russian drones Forpost, Orion, Orlan, and Altius also come from their own sources. The reconnaissance drone Orlan is able to operate even in extreme climatic conditions, for example it can handle even extreme cold. In the past, it was deployed, for example, in the Arctic. The machine with a wingspan of 3.1 meters is designed for a variety of tasks – reconnaissance, monitoring, target tracking, search or signal detection, and jamming. In addition to Ukraine, the Russians or their allies used these drones in Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh. 44 As for the Russian Lancet drones , suicide drones Lancet are responsible for a whole series of attacks on Ukrainian military equipment. Their new Lancet 3M variant is especially successful in this regard. The Ukrainian army supposedly does not have effective means of defence against these drones at its disposal. The original Lancet 3 drones have a take-off weight of 12 kg and can carry a maximum load of 3 kg, with which they can fly for 40 minutes. The improved Lancet 3M drones can carry a load of over 5 kg and can fly it for 1 hour, at a speed of up to 120 km/h and with a range of up to 40 km. 45 The payload can be a high-explosive or thermobaric warhead against infantry or a cumulative HEAT warhead against armoured targets. The drone flies over the battlefield, analyses possible targets, chooses the best attack trajectory and finally strikes the target. According to the manufacturer, it should handle the role of an aerial mine and destroy enemy drones by impact during a dive. 46 The lancets have a camera through which the operator can control them. It also has hardware that makes finding the target easier. The manufacturers claim that the Lancets have an autonomous mode available. 47 In it, the machine flies to a designated location and then visually searches for targets using an on-board computer using an image recognition algorithm. In this mode, it reportedly needs no operator connection and is immune to 44 POHŮDKA, P. Šáhid, Bayraktar, Orlan-10 a další. Jak válčí drony na Ukrajině. [Shahed, Bayraktar, Orlan-10 and others. How are the drones used in war in Ukraine] Available at: https://www.e15.cz/valka-na-ukrajine/prehledne sahid-bayraktar-orlan-10-a-dalsi-jak-valci-drony-na-ukrajine-1394666 8. 11. 2022 [accessed 23. 5. 2023]. 45 MIHULKA, S. Ruské sebevražedné drony Lancet si připisují zásahy na ukrajinských zbraních. [Russian suicide Lancet drones claim hits on Ukrainian weapons.] Available at: https://vtm.zive.cz/clanky/ruske-sebevrazedne drony-lancet-si-pripisuji-zasahy-na-ukrajinskych-zbranich/sc-870-a-221643/default.aspx 14. 4. 2023 [accessed 23. 5. 2023]. 46 Ibid. 47 LÁZŇOVSKÝ, M. Umělá inteligence na frontě. Nasadilo Rusko robota-zabijáka? [Artificial intelligence on the front line. Has Russia deployed a killer robot?] Available at: https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/tech-techmix umela-inteligence-na-fronte-nasadilo-rusko-robota-zabijaka-229309 13. 4. 2023 [accessed 23. 5. 2023].

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