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FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida—At the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, soldiers were issued basic safety supplies, like tourniquets, that would traditionally be needed in combat.
Four years later, the war is not traditional and has turned into combat dominated by the use of drones—especially small, first-person-view systems flown from behind the front lines that are inflicting heavy losses.
Now troops are issued some different safety supplies, a representative of Ukraine’s armed forces told an audience largely comprised of special operations forces here Feb. 12. This includes a spectrum analyzer to find where drones are operating and a jammer for self-protection.
“One of the important things for individual protection is the spectrum analyzer, which every person has to have with them, just to analyze where the drones are, where the enemy drones are coming from, and where they’re going so that we are aware of what is happening,” the official said through an interpreter during a virtual appearance at the Special Air Warfare Symposium here.
The jammer in use for protection detects the frequency a drone is operating on and jams it. The main “recipe for a successful operation” is a combination of equipment, which includes “all kinds of electronic warfare,” the official says.
Ukraine has become the leader in drone warfare, using locally produced systems that are now being made in large numbers. The official says his nation wants to help its partners, including American special operations forces, by sharing its knowledge on how to operate the equipment effectively.
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