File image.
The Yolka interceptor drone is proving highly effective against the new artificial intelligence-equipped Ukrainian one-way attack drones, which are capable of evading weapons, the BARS-Bryansk volunteer territorial defense unit told TASS on July 8;
“Bars-Bryansk unit fighters destroyed a Ukrainian fixed-wing drone using the Yolka system, which caught up with and hit its target in just 20 seconds. The Ukrainian UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) began changing tactics, evading after firing, and were reliably controlled even at long ranges. When firing at Ukrainian UAVs, they became more controllable: they changed course and were able to strike Russian crews. In all likelihood, the drones are equipped with artificial intelligence, and were clearly developed not by Ukrainians, but by Europeans,” the unit reported.
A crew commander with the call sign “Joker” emphasized that the use of such drones by Ukraine has only recently become apparent.
“This wasn’t the case before, but now Ukrainian drones are controllable even at long ranges. You start targeting one, and it turns and goes away,” he said.
The commander also explained that the drone, destroyed in 20 seconds, was initially planned to be destroyed with a machine gun.
“I decided to fire the machine gun, but the bullets missed the drone. The Yolka performed perfectly. Within 20 seconds, it caught up with the target and hit it. Of course, the explosion and the flash were all visible,” Joker said.
The Yolka is optically guided, and is said to utilize artificial intelligence to detect and track the intended aerial target after launch with zero input from the operator. It can accelerate to 250 kilometers per hour, has a maximum range of three kilometers, and an engagement altitude of two kilometers.
The interceptor uses a hit-to-kill method, meaning it brings down its target kinetically by directly smashing into it at full speed. It can, however, carry a small warhead. It is typically launched from a light handheld device. However, a remotely-controlled launch system with an electro-optical targeting system was showcased before. The system can carry at least two interceptors.
The interceptor was initially developed to counter smaller, low-altitude drones typically used for reconnaissance. However, it has proven equally effective against larger one-way attack drones.
The Yolka is now in mass production and is regularly deployed by Russian troops in the special military operation zone, as well as by mobile fire groups across Russia.
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