Kalashnikov subsidiary ZALA’s new quadcopter, ‘Product 55’, utilizes a surprising method to avoid radio jamming: a fiber-optic cable for communication. Ukrainian military blogger Serhii “Flash” discovered this when a Russian FPV attack drone was captured, revealing a spool of fiber optic cable capable of extending 10,813 meters. This technology, while unexpected, has historical roots in the U.S. military’s wire-guided missiles like the TOW-2 and the Enhanced Fiber Optic Guided Missile (EFOG-M) program. Fiber optics offer a jam-proof communication method, which is critical in modern electronic warfare. The Russian drone’s use of commercial components for this technology suggests a shift from traditional military development to more innovative, smaller-scale production. This advancement poses a challenge to Western counter-drone strategies, which often rely on jamming radio signals. The discovery has prompted Ukrainian specialists to explore fiber-optic drone control to stay ahead in the technological arms race.
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