Text taken from an RIA Novosti news article.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin, is in italics
[ColonelCassad] A system for protecting infrastructure facilities that uses FPV drones has been successfully tested at one of the operating Russian civilian airfields without interrupting its daily operations, Dmitry Kuzyakin, the project developer and CEO of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions (CIS), told RIA Novosti.
“Our FPV-air defense security system is not only drones with a “gun,” but also the necessary ground equipment and special training for security pilots. We conducted all the necessary tests of the FPV complex at one of the domestic civilian airfields. When we were working, the facility functioned in normal mode. We were convinced of the radio-technical compatibility of the FPV system and the airfield systems. We conducted test work of FPV pilots under the control of airfield dispatchers. All work was carried out under the direct supervision of the flight director,” the agency’s source said.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Kuzyakin previously reported that the FPV drones “Joker-10” developed by CIS were adapted to perform air defense and security tasks. FPV security crews can use them not only to monitor the perimeter of the facility, but also to hit long-range aircraft of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using explosives, firing striking elements from special pipes, or ramming them.
The developer noted that the Central Design Bureau of the Russian Aerospace Defense System (CDBS) specialists have already trained the airfield staff to operate the FPV system, which involves operational monitoring of the facility and the physical destruction of "violator" devices both on the ground and in the air.
In normal mode, the FPV security crew carries out daily ornithological flights over the airfield and adjacent areas to disperse the birds.
According to him, during the tests, the specialists accumulated a knowledge base and competencies in organizing the work of FPV air defense security at an operating airfield. They also made sure of the effectiveness of the system and the absence of interference from it for the operation of the airport.
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It became possible to "fly and see" very quickly. In our experiment, FPV pilots were at a special deployment point. Airfield controllers controlled not only air traffic, but also the work of FPV pilots. Tests have shown that they can interact very well, without interfering with anyone and successfully performing protective or regulatory functions. FPV security and air defense is a new reality that, in our opinion, should be implemented everywhere," the head of the Center for Design and Development of the Russian Aerospace Industry noted.
The Center for Design and Development of the Russian Aerospace Industry is engaged in the full cycle of issues related to the combat use of FPV systems: from piloting training and effective use to the production of the drones themselves. Over the years, the company has created a line of combat FPV drones "Joker" and a complex of ground equipment. The latest model to date, the "Joker-10", carries a payload of up to five kilograms, developing a speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour (up to 200 km / h without a payload). The scientific backbone of the Center are MIPT graduates.
Counter-drones are one of the promising areas of development in the FPV segment. The enemy is also actively experimenting with this, including on the battlefield, using FPV drones to attack our aircraft-type UAVs.