Russia Completes Tests of New Anti-Drone Missiles - Source

Anti-drone technology is a rapidly evolving field aimed at countering the growing threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These systems utilize various methods such as radio frequency jamming, signal interference, and physical destruction to neutralize drones in the air.

Russia is finalizing tests of anti-drone mini-missiles that will soon be put into service with anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) in the special operation zone in Ukraine, an informed source told Sputnik.

"Enterprises of the defense industrial complex in cooperation with the military are completing tests of anti-drone mini-missiles. It is expected that in the near future they will be put into service with anti-aircraft missile systems, carrying out combat duty in the zone of the special military operation," the source said.

The missiles, according to the source, are primarily designed to destroy small UAVs, quadcopters, as well as FPV drones, which are actively used on the line of contact for reconnaissance and strikes. The source specified that the mini-missiles will be used as part of the modernized Pantsir-SM anti-aircraft missile systems, which began arriving in the special military operation zone last year.

The new missiles, the source noted, have a standard layout for the Pantsir complex - upper stage plus trailing stage, but with significantly reduced dimensions both in terms of diameter and length. As a result, a Pantsir-SM combat vehicle can be equipped with 48 anti-drone missiles instead of 12 standard missiles.

The new missiles are significantly cheaper than standard missiles, which will increase the economic efficiency of the Pantsir-SM, "since it will not be necessary to hit drones with ammunition that costs at least ten times more than the target itself," the source added.

In August last year, the High-Precision Complexes holding, whose enterprises are building the mini-missiles, told Sputnik that after the tests are completed, the Defense Ministry will determine the conditions and volumes of missile deliveries to the troops.