"Moscow has used fixed-wing Molniya ('lightning' in Russian) drones tethered to their operators by fiber-optic cables on at least five occasions so far. Russia and Ukraine primarily equip smaller first-person view (FPV) drones, commonly quadcopters, with fiber-optic cables, which are less vulnerable to signal jamming than radio frequency connections."
"The fiber-optic tether provides immunity to electronic jamming and maintains high-quality video transmission, although it reduces both operational range and payload capacity compared to standard models. Molniya drones equipped with a spool containing 25 miles of cabling can carry a payload of around 10 pounds."
"These drones have a range of roughly 30 to 60 miles and have been spotted on strike missions near the front line in the embattled and occupied eastern Donetsk region. The fiber-optic cables decrease the speed of the Molniya drones but preserve the connection."
Russia has begun using fiber-optic cables to control fixed-wing Molniya strike drones, making them resistant to electronic warfare interference prevalent on the battlefield. Ukrainian drone expert Serhii Beskrestnov confirmed at least five operational instances of these fiber-optic equipped Molniyas, which operate at ranges of 30 to 60 miles near the Donetsk front line. While fiber-optic connections provide immunity to signal jamming and maintain high-quality video transmission compared to radio frequency systems, they reduce operational range and payload capacity. A Molniya equipped with a 25-mile cable spool can carry approximately 10 pounds of payload. The US military reported Russia began deploying these systems in late 2025, representing the first fixed-wing drones Russia has operated with fiber-optic tethering technology.
#drone-warfare-technology #fiber-optic-communications #electronic-warfare-countermeasures #russia-ukraine-conflict #military-innovation
Read at www.businessinsider.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]