Liu Jiajun Li Xinzhou
According to a report by the Russian Satellite Agency on March 29, Kujakin, a Russian "unmanned integrated solutions center" company, said that Russia has developed the "Joker-10" FPV drone, which can hit ground and air targets at the same time, and has been put into use in the special military operation zone.
1. Drones have changed the battlefield situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict
With the rapid development of science and technology, UAVs are increasingly widely used in the military field. With their high efficiency, flexibility, and concealment, they have become indispensable weapons in modern warfare. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, drones have also appeared frequently, performing a variety of tasks such as reconnaissance, strikes and transportation, providing important tactical advantages for both sides of the war and changing the battlefield situation in modern warfare.
In the early days of the conflict, NATO provided Ukraine with a number of electromagnetic station systems, building a powerful combat capability. However, the Russian side has behaved inadequately under the unmanned attack of Ukraine. With the deepening of the conflict, the Russian side has continuously adjusted its production capacity and tactics, and gradually improved the application of unmanned systems, especially unmanned aerial vehicles, in the battlefield: by penetrating deep into the enemy's positions and carrying out precision strikes, effectively weakening the enemy's combat effectiveness; on the other hand, it undertakes the task of reconnaissance and intelligence collection, providing valuable battlefield information for the Russian army; at the same time, it provides strong logistical support for the Russian army in terms of material transportation support.
However, the use of drones in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has not been without its challenges. In real combat, drones face many challenges and risks. For example, the endurance and anti-jamming ability of UAVs are directly related to their combat effectiveness, and they are easily affected by various factors such as weather and electromagnetic environment. Therefore, in future wars, how to make better use of the advantages of UAVs and deal with UAV threats will become the focus of attention of all countries.
Second, the Joker-10 UAV came into being in the war
As the latest achievement of the Russian military industry, the Joker-10 UAV has won a lot of attention for its excellent performance and unique design.
The Joker-10 UAV can carry a payload of up to 5 kg, and is capable of carrying various combat loads according to the needs of different missions, such as missiles, reconnaissance equipment, etc., showing excellent load capacity. During the most recent tests, the Joker-10 drone carried six ammunition in a stable flight state, successfully completed the flight mission, and after the ammunition was exhausted, it carried out a ramming attack. According to Kujakin, the Joker-10 UAV has a superior flight speed. It can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h when fully loaded and more than 200 km/h when unloaded. This speed advantage allows the Clown-10 UAV to quickly shuttle on the battlefield, flexibly respond to various combat needs, and ensure that the UAV maintains a stable operating state in long-term operations.
Like other FPV UAVs, the Joker-10 is distinguished by a simple design, it uses a quadcopter scheme, assembled from components available on the market and components of Russia's own production. This design gives the Joker-10 UAV high reliability and stability. Equipped with an advanced navigation system and control system, it can freely switch between the two modes of autonomous flight and remote control. The Joker-10 drone also features a unique sleeper design that allows the operator to physically turn the drone on or off from a distance. Thanks to this technology, the operator can arrive at the designated position, install the Joker-10 UAV in an inactive state, and evacuate without fear of being detected by enemy reconnaissance. In the winter, the Joker-10 can lurk for up to a week, and in the summer it can remain dormant for up to a month, waiting for the activation command. Kuzyakin explained that in passive mode, the drone barely emits any radio signals, so it is extremely difficult to be detected by the enemy. These functions not only reduce the risk of being detected by the enemy, but also provide a strong guarantee for the survivability of the UAV in a complex electromagnetic environment.
Third, the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) needs to be continuously promoted
Records of multiple interceptions show that the Joker-10 UAV is only capable of defending against aircraft with limited flight capabilities, but the idea of using UAVs as an additional air defense system has certain prospects, and in the future, with special anti-aircraft ammunition, the effect of the UAV air defense system will be more obvious. At the same time, it can be noted that interceptor UAVs are not able to solve all air defense tasks, and other conventional air defense systems still play an important role. The simultaneous use of radar, air defense and electronic warfare systems, as well as UAVs, makes it possible to increase the capabilities of air defense in a number of traditional conditions.
In order to better adapt to modern warfare, Russia will continue to enrich the innovative application of unmanned systems, and add the results to the confrontation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, test the combat capability of equipment in actual combat, and continue to promote the development of unmanned systems.