In recent international military conflicts, “low, slow, and small” drones have demonstrated unprecedented strategic value. From Russian President Putin’s official aircraft being approached by drone swarms to frequent attacks on Russian strategic bomber bases, Ukraine has recaptured the attention of global military observers with these new tactics.

Military experts widely agree that “low, slow, and small” drones are rapidly becoming a critical force in modern warfare. While low-cost drones pose a serious threat to high-value targets, existing defense measures appear inadequate. So, what challenges does defending against “low, slow, and small” drones actually entail?

▍Challenge 1: Detection Difficulties—Extremely Challenging Early Warning

In the June 1st Ukrainian raid on a Russian strategic bomber base, 117 drones took off from truck containers, causing approximately $7 billion in losses for Russia. This incident also exposed the core bottleneck in defending against “low, slow, and small” targets: early warning is exceptionally difficult.

As typical “low, slow, and small” targets, multi-rotor drones fly at low altitudes, often within the blind spots of traditional air defense radars; their slow speed makes them easy to overlook for air defense systems; and their small radar cross-section, combined with significant ground clutter interference, makes long-distance detection extremely challenging.

To counter such threats, countries are actively developing specialized low-altitude detection radars, such as those using high-sensitivity frequency bands and intelligent algorithms to enhance detection performance. However, detection effectiveness varies significantly due to terrain, buildings, and vegetation obstructions. Increased radar sensitivity often comes with a higher false alarm rate, necessitating the integration of optical, infrared, and acoustic sensors, fusing multi-source intelligence, and employing efficient algorithms to identify suspicious targets.

When deployed temporarily in the field, such systems involve numerous devices and are prone to vulnerabilities. The effective identification range is typically only 5-10 kilometers, making it easy for “low, slow, and small” drones to evade detection and further complicating defense efforts.

▍Challenge 2: Soft Interception Measures—Traditional Methods Are Becoming Obsolete

While radio jamming and navigation signal spoofing have achieved some success, they now face severe challenges from AI drone technology.

Since last year, the number of fiber-optic-guided drones on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield has surged. These drones are connected to control stations via physical fiber optics, emitting no external signals, rendering traditional radio jamming methods almost useless. They can stably transmit high-definition images and accurately track targets even in jamming zones. However, their operational radius is limited by the length of the fiber optics (approximately 10-20 kilometers) and is susceptible to terrain obstacles.

According to reports, Ukraine used AI drones equipped with open-source flight control systems (such as ArduPilot) in the June attack, capable of autonomous identification and targeting. These drones do not rely on external communication or GPS and can dynamically select targets, completely颠覆ing the traditional defense logic based on signal jamming. U.S. military officials recently warned in congressional hearings that such drones would significantly increase interception difficulties.

▍Challenge 3: Hard-Kill Measures—Difficulty Balancing Cost and Effectiveness

When detection and soft interception fail, hard-kill measures become the last line of defense. However, existing methods generally have significant shortcomings:

  • Imbalance in Precision and Cost of Traditional Weapons: Light weapons and anti-aircraft guns have limited range and low accuracy; while air defense missiles have high hit rates, their single-shot cost often ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, far exceeding the cost of target drones, resulting in a severe cost-effectiveness imbalance.

  • New Ammunition Still in Development: Low-cost interception munitions, such as precision-guided rockets, are under development but are currently only suitable for intercepting targets on fixed flight paths.

  • Directed Energy Weapons Not Yet Mature: Laser weapons require several seconds of sustained irradiation to destroy a target, making them ineffective against swarm attacks; the operational range and stability of high-power microwave weapons still require verification.

  • Limitations in Urban Environments: The use of electromagnetic jamming in cities may affect civilian devices, while using live ammunition to shoot down drones carries the risk of collateral damage from falling debris. Moscow’s repeated attacks highlight this dilemma. The U.S. military’s “Falcon Peak 2025” experiment also clearly stated that existing hard-kill measures are unsuitable for urban environments.

▍Solution: Wuhan Lakeda’s Radar Systems

To address the above challenges, Wuhan Lakeda has developed the two-dimensional phased array radar XW/SR226-5000SA and the two-dimensional four-faced array radar XW/SR226S6D, focusing on enhancing the detection and response capabilities against “low, slow, and small” targets.

  • XW/SR226-5000SA: Utilizes electronic scanning in both horizontal and vertical directions, offering fast scanning speed and wide coverage. It supports multi-task parallel processing, can track hundreds of targets simultaneously, and has strong anti-saturation attack capabilities, making it suitable for high-mobility, high-density target environments.

  • XW/SR226S6D: Specifically designed for low-altitude drone detection, it employs S-band active phased array technology combined with AI intelligent processing and a modular architecture to achieve 360° full airspace coverage. It can detect micro-drones (such as DJI Mavic) within 8 kilometers in real time and integrate with electro-optical systems to form a “detection-control-strike” closed-loop system. It supports electronic fencing and audio-visual warnings, making it suitable for various scenarios, including critical site protection, airport perimeters, and border monitoring.

Current counter-drone systems’ shortcomings in mobility, multi-scenario adaptability, and cost control have elevated “low, slow, and small” targets from “supporting roles on the battlefield” to “strategic threats.” From attacks on Russian strategic bases to emergencies on U.S. soil, drone defense has become a critical component that must be strengthened in national defense systems.

Future counter-drone systems will evolve toward intelligence and automation, integrating artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms to enhance their ability to handle complex situations. Systems will also become more multifunctional and integrated, compatible with various countermeasures. Additionally, equipment will become more portable and concealed, supporting rapid deployment and flexible use.

Driven by both drone technology and security needs, Wuhan Lakeda Technology Co., Ltd. will continue to deepen its expertise in radar technology, promote in-depth integration with directed energy weapons and AI decision-making systems, and provide solid technical support for smart cities and national defense security.

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