Ukraine's new "Ptashynka" drone challenges Russian defenses
Ukrainians have showcased the "Ptashynka," a large FPV drone with a diameter of 13 inches and a flight range of up to 12 miles. A key feature of the "Ptashynka" is its resistance to jamming; the only way to stop it is to shoot it down.
Both sides in the Ukraine war are increasingly deploying drones that are resistant to jamming. The more advanced and expensive option includes drones that attack targets in the final phase of flight using artificial intelligence algorithms. Meanwhile, a cheaper and more popular option, favored by Russians as well, are drones connected to a control station via a deployable fiber optic cable.
Defending against these drones is very difficult. Essentially, the only chance to interrupt an attack is to shoot them down before they reach their target. Russian drones pose significant challenges for Ukrainians by attacking high-value vehicles such as infantry fighting vehicles like the Marder 1A3, tanks like the M1A1 Abrams, and howitzers like the PzH 2000.
Now, Ukrainians have introduced a factory version of this type of drone, known as "Ptashynka" (Пташка), supplementing the improvised drones used by units like the infamous "Ptaki Madziara," which has already developed a strategy to counter them.
Ukrainian "Ptashynka" - for Russians, the choice is to shoot it down or face death
The "Ptashynka" is available in versions with a fiber optic spool of either 6 or 12 miles. Interestingly, the spool is angled relative to the flight direction, which improves aerodynamics.
There is also widespread use of 3D-printed parts to maximize lift for the battery and the warhead. The components come from domestic suppliers or volunteer groups like Wild Bees.
The photo shows a substantial cumulative warhead that is clearly larger than popular PG-7VL grenades, possibly even inspired by the Javelin, with the potential to penetrate armor steel greater than three feet.
Russian field improvisations will be helpless
Furthermore, the warhead likely has a precursor (a smaller tip) for overcoming obstacles such as reactive armor or layers of scrap metal making Russian tanks resemble "armored barns". Simply put, this charge makes a hole for a larger warhead to detonate on the actual tank.
In times of shortages of typical anti-tank weapons and uncertainty about future supplies, such as the FGM-148 Javelin from the USA, this is the right development direction. It's worth noting that so far, Americans have not announced a new delivery package for Ukraine, and currently only deliveries approved by the Joe Biden administration are being carried out.
