We all see that wars in the world have taken on a new character. While tanks, airplanes, missiles, and other equipment played a major role in the past, UAVs are becoming increasingly important now. They can be produced and launched in large numbers relatively cheaply. Due to the high number of such devices, detection and interception are becoming increasingly difficult tasks.

Currently, two main types of UAVs can be identified that are actively used in military conflicts:

These devices typically fly very low. As a result, many modern air defense systems cannot detect them from a great distance. Because of this, UAVs can penetrate deep into the rear, covering large distances and bypassing existing detection systems.

So what should one do if they are so difficult to detect? Let's try to think of possible solutions.

In my opinion, there are things here that may seem somewhat absurd at first glance.

UAVs, especially airplane-type ones, produce a quite noticeable engine noise. They can often be heard well even without special means.

If several acoustic posts are used simultaneously, then by the time difference of sound arrival, one can not only detect the device but also approximately determine its location and direction of movement.

This is a rather old technology, which is rarely remembered today, but under current conditions, it could prove to be quite effective.

Aerostats are quite easy to deploy in almost any terrain, including forested areas. They can host regular cameras, thermal imagers, and other observation tools.

Deploying a network of such aerostats would not pose a major problem for many countries. The remaining question is data processing. Modern computer vision systems and AI can automatically analyze images and identify flying objects.

In my opinion, this could significantly enhance the effectiveness of detecting low-flying UAVs.

Personally, I do not consider EW systems to be a universal solution. Many drones are capable of flying to pre-defined coordinates and do not require constant communication with an operator.

If the device is flying autonomously, there is simply nothing to suppress in terms of the control channel. Therefore, it is unlikely that the problem can be solved with only electronic warfare means.

So far, acoustic systems and aerostats seem to me to be the most interesting options for solving the problem of detecting UAVs.

Perhaps I am missing something, so I am curious to learn the opinions of others.

What methods of UAV detection would you suggest?