Ukrainian company develops new modular electronic warfare system to counter Mavic and FPV drones – photos
A new modular electronic warfare system, DF-M, designed to counter Mavic and FPV drones, has been presented in Lviv at the Joint Ventures, Joint Defence forum organised by the Tech Force in UA association. The system was developed by the Ukrainian company Piranha Tech.
Source: Oboronka, a defence industry project created by Mezha.Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda's holding company
Details: The modular design allows operators to choose different jamming blocks for the frequency ranges used by the enemy on a specific front. DF-M can combine various antennas, both directional with different turning angles and omnidirectional, which create a "protective dome" over an object.
The system can be deployed on any platform – from stationary tripods on buildings or positions to installation on pickups and armoured vehicles.
The system’s directed antenna can block Russian drones such as Mavic and Autel carrying explosives and targeting Ukrainian troops at a distance of 1.5 km. This range allows the system to be placed a kilometre away from a defended position. Alternatively, an omnidirectional antenna can be installed to create a protective dome within 100 metres.
"If a Mavic is weak, meaning it doesn’t have advanced military firmware or controllers, this system’s sky protection can cover 3 km," Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, deputy director of Piranha Tech, said in a conversation with an Obronka journalist.
The system’s operating range can vary from 100 to 7,000 MHz depending on the soldier’s needs and the installed block. Soldiers can replace different blocks and antennas directly in the field, swapping directional for dome antennas. This eliminates the need for units to buy multiple electronic warfare systems with different functions – instead, they only need interchangeable modules for the existing device.
Quote from Khrapchynskyi: "DF-M is essentially a construction kit that can be assembled for specific needs. The key feature of our approach was unification and software that, when integrated with radars or ELINT systems, can automatically track a target, create interference sectors and control several systems simultaneously."
Details: He added that the system allows remote operation and monitoring from anywhere in the world, provided a secure communication channel is available.
Piranha Tech’s production capacity currently allows for 500 such systems per month. The cost of one unit for countering Mavic-type drones is UAH 1 million (about US$24,129).
"We developed the software with future enemy upgrades in mind. Minor changes made by Mavic or Autel manufacturers are easily adjustable," Khrapchynskyi added.
Background: Earlier, Obronka reported that a new Ukrainian bomber drone, JET MAX, equipped with eight pods for payload, was also presented at the same forum.
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