The commander of a UAV crew from the South group, with the call sign "MChS," told the newspaper "Krasnaya zvezda" why drones are increasingly taking over tasks that were previously handled by artillery, and what is behind the mass transition to fiber-optic systems.
We are now operating more effectively even compared to artillery. We do not need to throw a pile of shells at the target. We detect and destroy the enemy quickly and precisely.
According to him, unmanned aircraft are taking over the destruction of tanks, artillery, dugouts, and machine-gun positions — everything that hinders the advance of infantry. The main trump card is fiber-optic drones, which are completely immune to EW and provide image quality so high that inscriptions on military equipment are visible. However, there are downsides as well.
There are many nuances. The maximum distance a drone can move away from the operator depends on the length of the fiber. The fiber can break, for example by catching on trees or because of strong wind. The weight of the spool does not help maneuverability, while at the same time increasing windage. Somersaults and sharp turns are also out of the question in this case. Nevertheless, with the help of fiber-optic drones, we have begun to bring even more benefit, striking the enemy and blocking all of its access routes to the line of combat contact.