This is how they use flamethrower drones on the battlefield

In the age of electronic warfare, microwave pulses that literally fry aircraft chips and millimeter-guided missiles like those available to Spain, flamethrowers continue to be used to eliminate certain threats from a point of view that is as simple as it is effective. In the war in Ukraine, both sides use direct fire on the battlefield, integrating it with different platforms such as drones or armored vehicles, while Zelensky’s army uses ATACAMS to attack the Russia.

The last of the armies to announce a flamethrower was Russia. Through a publication on the Telegram messaging application, the forces in control of the Kremlin They showed off a new drone that breathes fire.

This is a small aircraft, which could be of commercial category and which transports attached a tank filled with an incendiary mixture and an actuator to deploy the flames when commanded by the operator. The goal, as stated, is to thwart the Ukrainian drones that are causing so much human and material loss.

“It appears to be a commercial quadcopter type drone which carries a small tank filled with a flammable substance,” Federico Borsari, resident scholar at the Center for European Policy Analysis in the United States, explained to Defense News. Information about this new Russian creation is very rare and it only appeared in the video posted on the Internet.

On the other side of the line and only a few months ago, Ukraine deploys its flamethrower drone for the first time. Called Dragonfire (Dragon Fire, in its direct translation from English), this very particular weapon uses a reactive mixture (thermite) which is dropped on the target surface to burn everything in its path.

Russian flamethrower

This quadcopter drone (which has four motors) was specially developed to attack enemy dronesAccording to Samuel Bendett, Russian military technology advisor at the Naval Analysis Center, from the same media. He also points out that in the posted video, an unidentified voice can be heard saying, “We basically incorporated another drone,” referring to an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Although at first glance this appears to be a method that is as visually spectacular as it is effective, many experts really doubt the good performance and practicality in the tactical field. The Russian drone has the maneuverability of an aircraft of this type, but controlling the flamethrower system becomes more complex.

As they say, do Matching the flow of fire with a potential moving target is virtually impossible. There also does not appear to be any complex system controlling the amount of fuel ejected, so the attack capability could be limited to just a few seconds.

“If this type of drone is going to do this with another drone, it has to position itself and be very precise,” Bendett emphasizes. “This can play against some who float in the same place to observe, otherwise, if the drone moves, it will be very difficult to shoot this type of liquid at a moving target.”

Likewise, analyst Borsari highlighted the limited amount of flammable liquid the plane can carry. This type of drone is basically designed to capture images and equip it with any additional systems that burden its persistence specifications in the air, as well as its maneuverability or speed.

“As the drone uses the flammable liquid and the pressure of the spray mechanism decreases, the Heat feedback can damage the drone itself and cause it to crash if the operator holds it in the air,” Borsari added.

Ukrainian dragon fire

In September, coinciding with the final stages of summer and the driest weeks of the year, Ukraine’s 108th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade released video taken by a drone. Dragonfire throwing flames against a small expanse of trees. As collected Forbesit is also a drone conveniently modified to destroy certain Russian positions.

The launched munitions fall to the surface while burns because of the drone and ends up exploding a few seconds later. Zelensky’s army uses a formula composed primarily of aluminum and iron oxide that causes an exothermic reaction that can be very dangerous under uncontrolled conditions.

For example, molten iron may be projected from the reaction center, causing very serious burns on contact with skin human. Likewise, used over large areas, it can start fires if it encounters dry weeds.

As for the Russian platform, the Details on the use of the Ukrainian drone are really scarce and both methods face exactly the same technological problems and challenges. So there may be an additional element that motivates its deployment on the battlefield.

“The main use of these termite drones [como se conoce al compuesto ucraniano] “It’s like a defoliant to remove the cover from trees and foliage that Russian troops and vehicles use to hide,” said Justin Bronk, a senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London. He also added that “it was probably planned.” be a psychological weapon due to the nature of the effects produced by the termite in contact with the skin.