Among the many weapons being used by the Ukrainian military to inflict losses on the Russian invasion forces, several have risen to prominence in the country and on social media. Alongside ‘St Javelin’ and the ‘Ghost of Kiev’ which have mythologised the eponymous anti-tank missile and the Ukrainian air force’s Mig-29 fighters, the Bayraktar TB-2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has gained a symbolic place in the Ukrainian defensive arsenal.
The TB-2 is a relatively small medium-altitude long endurance class drone. It weighs around half a ton, cruises at 70 knots (80 mph), and can carry up to four small laser-guided bombs with a practical engagement range of around 8km. Despite its unassuming size and payload, the TB-2 has risen to prominence by destroying significant numbers of armoured vehicles and short-range air defence systems in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and now most recently in Ukraine.
There are two primary means of preventing drones like the TB-2 from operating against a modern army. The first is to shoot them down using surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems or fighter aircraft. The second is to use electronic warfare to disrupt or stop the radio datalinks to the drone’s crew sitting in a mobile ground control station. Russian forces typically deploy large numbers of layered short-, medium- and long-range SAM systems, and have potent electronic warfare capabilities. You would think therefore that Russia would easily be able to neutralise the TB-2s as a threat. There are several reasons why this has not proven correct so far.
The invasion of Ukraine has seen appalling coordination between the various elements of the Russian armed forces
First and foremost, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been characterised by appalling coordination between the various elements of the Russian armed forces. The greatest period of success for the TB-2s was during the first week of the invasion, when Russian units were frequently advancing well beyond the cover normally provided by accompanying short- and medium-range SAM systems.
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