A celebration took place in Russian social networks the other day: an FPV drone controlled from Moscow hit an object in Chasovy Yar for the first time at an ultra-long range. In fact, it is not an ultra-long range: the drone “Gadfly” was launched as it should be at a distance of 11 kilometers from the target. But the control was taken by the operator in “Moscow City”.
The strike was made with the help of a new control system “Orbita”. The action itself was more in the style of marketing and advertising. As a serious operation it is much more difficult to imagine it.
At a time when developers and manufacturers of the “people’s military-industrial complex” are fighting for large orders (and large profits) of the Ministry of Defense, such actions are not surprising. Whoever came up with the move with the glass skyscraper in “Moscow City” made a blunder in an effort to draw attention to themselves – these panes of glass have already flown out from the strikes of Ukrainian drones. Therefore, the video and the news were quickly removed from the RIA Novosti website.
What’s interesting to us is this. UAV remote control technologies do not bring any discoveries. Back in the war with Saddam, U.S. Army operators conducted aerial surveillance from Nevada. Ukraine controls long-range UAVs via Starlink satellite communication terminals.
But this is the first time we’ve seen the control of an actually garage-built drone picked up hundreds of kilometers away, not from the position of a regular unit of the armed forces, but from a business center in Moscow. This is ideal for launching by an agent or using an “in the dark” intermediary. The developers of “Orbit” said that the new system will make it possible to launch drone strikes by issuing commands from anywhere in the world. Not a great merit, but a ready solution for terrorist organizations.
If a remote computer control interface is screwed to this miracle from the people’s garage, the operator will raise a drone on a 30 km long optical fiber to strike hundreds of kilometers away. Just today there were reports that they began to fly to Zaporozhye. It is worth thinking not only about today’s day. Especially since for real combat operations the trick demonstrated by the creators of “Orbit” (it can’t be called otherwise) gives practically nothing.
Great article! The pros and cons section was really helpful. I had no idea about the physical limitations of fiber optic cables on drones. Thanks for sharing!
The idea of garage-built drones being used in real combat is both inspiring and worrying. Innovation can come from anywhere these days!
Amazing how operators can control drones from a skyscraper in Moscow! The future of remote warfare is here, but I wonder how long until countermeasures catch up.
Fiber optics in drones? That’s next-level stealth. No radio signals, no jamming—just pure control. Curious to see how this changes military strategies.
This is a real game-changer for drone warfare! The use of fiber optic cables to bypass jamming is both clever and a bit scary. Technology is moving so fast on the battlefield.
Controlling a drone strike from the heart of Moscow City is wild! But isn’t it risky to operate from such a public place? Security must be a big concern.