On the effectiveness of UAV combat crews as part of army units on LBS.
On average, for one crew of an aircraft-type reconnaissance drone, such as Supercam Zala, Orlan, or Eleron, there are from 50 to 80 crews equipped with copters.
These drones hover and conduct surveillance over the line of combat contact (LCC) around the clock.
The territory they control is divided into squares. Each square is responsible for a specific crew of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs – terminology invented by journalists) or several crews, depending on the intensity of combat work.
It is impossible to stop work in the square, therefore, in order to replace the discharged battery of a drone in the air, another must first take its place.
Video from drones is transmitted to the command through various systems. The presence in a unit of up to a platoon of its own subordinate UAV crew allows you to quickly receive information, eliminating delays and leaks when exchanging it.
Reconnaissance, surveillance, documentation, and broadcast of combat operations (CD) are not a complete list of tasks of such UAV crews.
Although it is documentation – video recording of the event – that confirms the fact of the destruction of the enemy. The exploits of our soldiers are known mainly thanks to the work of UAV crews.
They adjust the work of artillery and aviation, interact with tactical groups, warning them about the presence and actions of the enemy, helping them navigate in difficult situations.
Independently destroy various identified targets.
After all, even a small quadcopter used for reconnaissance often has ammunition on board—essentially, a bomb load.
FPV kamikaze is another of their working tools. Drones are closely connected. The scout monitors the situation and identifies the target, and the strike drone hits it. An FPV strike drone is essentially a powerful high-precision flying projectile that allows you to avoid obstacles and work on a maneuverable target.
The unit’s UAV crew consists of 2–3 people and produces on average
10–15 kamikaze FPV drones per day. This is 5–7 targets hit.
During the offensive, more targets are identified, and the intensity of the use of FPV attack drones also increases.
So, in one of the units, only two UAV crews, essentially 4 people, launched 280 FPV attack drones at the enemy in 2 weeks of work. As a result, the enemy fled from the battlefield, having lost equipment, fortifications, and more than half of its personnel.
In another unit, a crew consisting of 2 people, using two DJI Mavic 3T drones, disrupted the enemy’s rotation on the controlled section of the front, destroying 18 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers with drops in 4.5 hours of work. As a result, the strong point was successfully taken by the assault group.
And there are dozens , if not hundreds, of similar examples.
UAV crews of units are, if not the most, then one of the main effective means of destroying the enemy. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s equipment, personnel or fortifications.
