Ukraine Deploys UGV-Mounted Close Air Defense Systems

Ukraine’s 28th Mechanized Brigade (28 OMBR) has developed a remote-controlled air defense platform that allows its frontline troops to engage Russian drones and other aerial attack without breaking cover.

It consists of a 9K38 Igla man-portable air defense system (MANPADS), which is normally shoulder-fired, mounted on a 4×4 unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) using a custom-made bracket. This setup allows the operator to control and fire the missile using a remote targeting system without the need for the operator to be exposed.

The 9K38 Igla (“Needle” – NATO SA-18 Grouse) is a Soviet-era man-portable infrared homing [heat-seeking] surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. It carries a 1.17 kilogram (2.6 pound) high explosive warhead out to a range of around 6 kilometers (3.5 miles) with a flight ceiling of 3.5 kilometers (11,000 feet) and a maximum speed of around 570 m/s (Mach 1.9).

Intended to provide close-in short-range air defense, the system was the brainchild of the brigade’s engineering team. Images of the system being tested were posted on the brigade’s Instagram channel along with a claim that it has already achieved its first battlefield success – [the brigade] “has one enemy helicopter to its credit.”

The social media post gave the rationale for the system: “Enemy aviation is a threat not only to civilian cities but also directly to the front. Their airplanes, helicopters and reconnaissance UAVs frequently approach our infantry positions. Previously, they were relatively easy to engage with MANPADS, but now Russian FPV [first-person view] drones monitor every movement of our troops and often prevent them from even leaving their trenches.”

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The military issues website Militarnyi quoted a spokesperson for 28 OMBR saying volunteers are launching a fundraiser which will allow its engineers to purchase the parts needed to assemble 10 more of the vehicles.

28 OMBRs improvised solution is just another of the many examples of Ukrainian troops modifying or repurposing existing weapons and equipment, particularly unmanned aerial and ground vehicles, to overcome new Russian threats that appear on the battlefield.

The Ukrainian technology company Kvertus reported on Facebook in late July that it had brought into service a UGV-mounted mobile electronic warfare (EW) system to provide close-in battlefield protection against drones.

Known as the “Kvertus AD Berserk” it can operate autonomously for up to 12 hours and has a range of up to 20 kilometers (12.5 miles). The company claims its onboard EW unit can jam all currently known frequencies used by Russian FPV kamikaze, bomber, and multirotor UAVs.