Drone dogfights: Ukraine's new weapon to wrest back control of skies from Russia

With Moscow producing thousands of deadly drones, Kyiv is building shotgun-toting machines to shoot them down

A Besomar 3210 drone fitted with shotgun. The evolution of the armed aerial combat UAVs will likely see drone dogfights over the skies of Ukraine. Photo: Militarnyi

A new form of warfare is due to break out in the skies above Ukraine, with drone fighters trying to shoot down the Russian drones that are bombarding cities. In an attempt to wrest back control of the skies after Moscow massively increased its kamikaze drone production, Kyiv is launching sophisticated aerial combat drones to be used in dogfights.

This includes the Besomar 3210, which can carry up to four 12-gauge shotgun barrels using an onboard computer to stealthily close in and blast Russian drones out of the sky. Military experts have told The National that with Russia developing countermeasures for their UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) to fight back “air-to-air combat between drones” will develop.

A Besomar 3210 unmanned aerial vehicle. EPA

Drones by the thousands

The ability to counter the barrage of Russia’s Geran-2 machine, based on the Iran-supplied Shahed 136 one-way attack UAV, has grown more urgent for Ukraine given the sheer number now being produced by Russia. In one night last month Moscow fired 700 towards Ukraine with another 1,000 coming during the same week, leading President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to warn that Russia was “intensifying terror against our cities and communities”.

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Moscow has been able to intensify that effort, with its war machine able to increase production fivefold with help from Chinese manufacturers, and it plans to build 40,000 Geran-2 drones this year, according to Ukraine intelligence.

The Geran-2 has also been upgraded with AI, electronic warfare defences against jamming and a video guidance system. With the ability to fly at 4,000 metres it can conduct dives, taking its speed from 185kph to 400kph, with a 90kg explosive payload.

A Shahed 136 (Geran-2) Iranian-made UAV drone displayed outside the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv. AfP

Furthermore, the drone's ability to penetrate Ukraine’s defences has increased at least threefold. According to figures from The Economist, 15 per cent made it through last month compared to less than 5 per cent in March, killing people and destroying infrastructure. Ukraine is reluctant to use its expensive, Western-supplied interceptor missiles, which cost $200,000 a go, and so rapidly needs to develop a new method of shooting down drones.

“Interceptor drones appear effective if they can identify and acquire targets such as a Geran,” said Sean Reardon of Janes, the defence intelligence company. “Should Geran-type drones acquire their own countermeasures that effectively engage interceptor drones then air-to-air combat between drones is a possibility.”

Shotgun fighters

President Zelenskyy has requested manufacturers produce 1,000 interceptors a day – compared to Russia’s 170 Geran-2s a day – and has suggested a $6 billion budget for counter-drone measures. At least four companies have produced their own attack drones, with Besomar producing an advanced aircraft equipped with shotguns and computers.

The prototype currently carries two 12-gauge shotguns mounted below its wings that can fire, then return back to base to rearm, making them more cost-effective than drones that simply ram their targets.

A central advantage in the Besomar model comes from its onboard computer, which includes a nose sensor that automatically fires the weapon when the enemy drone enters its “kill zone”. This drastically improves its reaction times, helping to hit a manoeuvring target when the drone’s pilot might not have time to fire a manually triggered shot.

A Ukrainian soldier armed with a shotgun to shoot down Russian combat drones. Reuters

The shotgun has no recoil, ensuring the drone remains stable during combat, with each round firing about a dozen tungsten steel pellets, which is “probably lethal between 0-20 metres”, said Mr Reardon, the small arms and light weapons analyst at Janes.

“Providing the target is engaged at a close enough range and the shot pattern covers the target it should be effective. The difficulty, in my opinion, is getting to the target in time and in a position to get an effective shot on target.”

The Besomar 3210 is able to loiter for about 60 minutes, giving it the opportunity to be airborne to intercept Russian drones, despite its relatively low speed.

Future dogfighters

Currently the drone dogfighter can fly at 200kph, whereas the Geran has a top speed of 185kph but can achieve 400kph when diving on to a target. Demonstrating the remarkable battlefield ingenuity shown by both sides, the Ukrainians have given it a frequency hopping device that makes it difficult to jam its radio signal.

A Besomar 3210 on its catapult launcher. EPA/MYKOLA TYS

The Russians have also recently developed drones that can conduct evasive manoeuvres when they detect interceptors. Ukraine is looking to rapidly build interceptors that can fly at 300kph, loiter at 5000 metres and cost around $5,000. The Kyiv Post has also reported on a quadcopter drone that uses a six-barrel shotgun for air combat and a jet-propelled model armed with a single shotgun.