Latest technologies from Ukrainian developers to protect the sky

There is seemingly no singular solution to the problem, and none of the suggested options can become a game changer in air warfare. While it is difficult to increase the number of air defence systems quickly, at least Ukraine can squeeze the most out of each solution mentioned above.

First and foremost, air defence assets must be deployed in the right place and at the right time. To address this problem, special software was developed to analyse the Shaheds' paths every night, enabling pattern prediction and effective deployment of air defence assets.

But in order to collect such data, let alone respond to it in real time, these Shaheds must be made visible. Detecting targets in a timely fashion and tracking the movements of enemy drones throughout their journey is essential, as lately they have been making more attempts to confuse the defenders of Ukraine's skies by changing their course of flight. Radars are known to be very expensive, and covering the entire territory of Ukraine with them would be challenging.

At the same time, Ukrainian engineers can offer the cheaper and more widespread option of acoustic sensors. Shaheds are known for their distinctive sound, often compared to that of a moped. Modern sensors are able not only to detect a Shahed, but also to determine its distance from the sensor and coordinates of the drone's target and quickly transmit this data to the appropriate command post.

This is the principle behind the FENEK sound-ranging acoustic system, developed by Octava Defence. It is a network of acoustic signal receivers (sensors) integrated into a single system by a software and hardware "brain" that determines the azimuth, altitude, direction of motion, and type of the air target, all using complex mathematical calculations. The developers have taught this system to filter out any extraneous sounds.

For example, telling an ordinary moped apart from a Shahed is no problem for the FENEK.