The Russians have failed to gain air control in Ukraine. TB2 in particular suffers great damage from Bayraktar. British defence expert Justin Bronk wrote to both Spiegel and the Spectator magazine about why TB2 could not be blocked.
There are two methods to stop armed drones such as TB2 Bayraktar. The first is surface-to-air LAUNCH SAM missiles or warplanes. The second is electronic warfare, which means neutralizing drones by blocking their digital connections to the center. The Russians have both SAM rackets, warplanes and electronic warfare capability. However, despite this, they did not succeed against TB2s.
And what are the reasons for that?
The first and most important reason is the lack of coordination in the Russian military. The TB2s achieved the greatest success in the first weeks of the war. TB2s also destroyed many SAM racket stations. The Russian convoys were unable to move due to miscalculations and remained stuck where they were. Their radar did not work, and the warplanes were unable to act because the army had no coordinated knowledge of its overall airspace.
The Russians, though, have overcome the initial surprise. He’s relatively dominated the air. Ukraine can no longer use its warplanes. But TB2s aren’t easily caught on radar because they’re small. And their speed is as low as 80 miles an hour. TB2s can break the radar barrier because the radars are usually programmed to jets and rackets. Although that doesn’t mean TB2s are unspible. Many TB2s were downgraded in Syria and Libya. However, TB2s are still used in Ukraine after all.
The lack of coordination between the Russian ground forces and the air force that co-ordinates them makes it easier for TB2s. The Russians have yet to destroy Ukraine’s mobile air defense system. All these factors caused Russian warplanes to fail to stop the TB2s.
The Russians are actually good at electronic warfare systems that will neutralize the enemy’s communications and weapons systems. But this requires extensive and long-term planning. They didn’t make it in Ukraine. One of the reasons for this is that the mobile phones they use do not have a military encryption system. These devices work with cheap Chinese spare parts. The Russian military, deeply demoralized by the TB2 attacks, abstained from continuing the electronic war to keep morale from deteriorating further.
Within three weeks, the Ukrainian air force had solved the mistakes of the Russian air strike system and was able to take advantage of these weaknesses to TB2. The attack balance sheet, whose TB2s have been approved so far, is as follows: 12 different military aircraft, 24 trucks and armored vehicles, two trains carrying oil. Actually, there are more successes. However, the Ukrainian military does not disclose all of the operations in order not to weaken its operations.
Invisible TB2 attacks are likely having a negative impact on the morale and tactics of the Russian armies. TB2s actually play a proportionally small role in the damage of russians, who have lost 1,200 military vehicles and weapons so far. But symbolically, it has a decisive role for both Ukrainians and Russians.
Bayraktar drones are affordable, robust, highly mobile and achieve good results. But they’re not a miracle weapon. The success of the TB2s so far demonstrates the success of the Ukrainian operators using these drones and the Russian failure to defend.
WHAT IS TB2?
The TB2 is a relatively small DRONE that can fly at a relatively medium altitude and has a long flight time. It weighs about half a ton and can accelerate up to 80 miles per hour. It can drop four laser-equipped bombs up to eight km away. TB2 gained notoriety in Syria, Libya and nagorno-Karabakh. His reputation has also grown in Ukraine. Many Russian armored vehicles and air defense systems were destroyed by TB2s.
