Ukrainian Aero Bavovna announced the development of the aerostat C-UAS system using subsystems that are more affordable than those of platform-mounted MANPADS and SPAAGs as a persistent airborne solution against the Russian kamikaze UAV barrages.

Working Principle of Ukraine’s Aerostat C-UAS System

Instead of using surface-level sensing that can be cluttered by terrain and horizon, Aero Bavovna’s system uses a balloon to provide an extended sensing envelope for the EO/IR system, which detects incoming kamikaze UAVs.

When the UAV is detected, the system air-drops a fixed-wing FPV drone, which can fly faster than rotary-wing ones often employed in the field, to intercept the UAV.

Usage of seemingly simple sensors and a mass-producible effector might make the system more affordable than MANPADS missiles.

Evolution of the C-UAS Industry Following the War

The Russo-Ukrainian War has led to a variety of out-of-box approaches to the C-UAS field from many countries, ranging from improvised solutions to unlikely combinations that would otherwise be of little use in conventional warfare.

Before the war, the solutions had a less branched grouping under laser weapons, jammers, and adaptation of short-range air defence systems.

Today, many new solutions with different working principles have appeared on the market and in the field to answer the sheer cheapness and adaptability of UAVs, which are overwhelming the conventional solutions.

Some of these new solutions can be given as refitting lightweight autocannons with airburst/proximity fuse ammunition, using UAVs focusing on speed and agility to shoot down other UAVs (Coyote Block 2, Ukraine’s improvised use of existing FPV drones...), and rockets fitted with guidance or fuse kits which are considerably cheaper than air defence missiles (APKWS II, Ukraine and Serbia’s time-fused rockets...).

Author: Kaan Azman

Editor: Özgür Ekşi