ANALYSIS OF USING SMALL ARMS` CAPABILITIES TO COUNTER UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

Abstract

Improvement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their rapid proliferation for military purposes have led to a significant increase in the role of UAVs on the battlefield, creating a problem of insufficient capabilities of air defence systems for combat units. Consequently, there is an urgent need to reconsider the concept of air defence for deployed units during combat operations.

The solution of this problem is complicated by the necessity of using significant material resources, continuous improvement of both UAVs and their tactical applications, as well as the possibility of creating situations when specialized air-defence capabilities cannot be employed due to various reasons.

In certain cases, due to the destruction of air-defence capabilities by the enemy, depletion of ammunition, or insufficient air-defence capabilities for a military unit, the only UAVs` countercapability can be the small arms of a unit. Therefore, despite the high potential of modern air-defence capabilities and electronic warfare systems against UAVs, in specific cases, the available small arms of a unit can be an effective air-defence capability.

The main aerial targets that are most suitable for engagement with small arms fire are small UAVs (nano UAVs, micro UAVs, mini UAVs, light UAVs for frontline surveillance, light UAVs with short flight range), which at certain moments move at low speeds regarding to the aiming axis.

Cases of firing with large values of the target's angle, leading to a significant decrease in firing efficiency, are not considered by the firing rules and sighting devices of small arms` main samples. As a result, the probability of hitting the target decreases several times and reaches unacceptably low values. Under such conditions, achieving a hit on the target with an acceptable probability can only be ensured by adjusting the aiming point by a certain amount, but this value is not provided in the operational documentation or training literature, thus remaining unknown to the small-arms men.

Therefore, need for improving the sighting devices of small arms firing with large values of the aerial target's angle (60…90°) and development of firing rules in order to ensure effective fire against such low-altitude aerial targets are the relevant tasks.