The use of drones with LTE communication by Russia
The Russian army has begun to use new drones equipped with LTE communications and remote control functions more actively at the front. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, such devices can perform both reconnaissance and strike functions, as well as be used as decoys to overload the Ukrainian air defense system.
LTE technology as a communication channel for drones is not new. The first experiments with cellular control took place 5-6 years ago. Also, the Chinese company DJI has already started using it in civilian drones. The advantage of cellular control is that it is almost unlimited in distance, wherever there is communication coverage, is relatively cheap, and allows for telemetry and video transmission, as well as route adjustments during flight.
However, this scheme has significant limitations.
- Technical disadvantages: cellular communication in Ukraine is unstable and rather slow, making direct FPV control almost impossible due to noticeable image delay. For drones flying over 100 km/h, even a few seconds of delay is critical.
- Altitude restrictions: a stable signal is provided up to 300 meters. At an altitude of 300-500 meters, the connection becomes unreliable, and over 500 meters, it is almost absent.
Thus, LTE communication is mostly used as an additional channel: to transmit already recorded video or to change the route in the mission planner. The use for direct FPV control remains unlikely.
Other modernizations of Russian drones
In addition to communication technologies, the Russians are actively experimenting with the combat parts of their drones, in particular the well-known Geranium/Shahed. The drones themselves remain almost unchanged, but their weapons are constantly being improved.
They are being tested:
- thermobaric munitions ("vacuum bombs"),
- fragmented ammunition,
- Delayed-action charges that can detonate minutes or hours after being dropped.
In fact, Russia does not have a single standard of weaponry for such drones and is in the process of finding the most effective options for terrorist attacks.
Sources of components
Most of the electronic components for drones come from China. We are talking about the low-end segment - inexpensive elements that are produced even in small factories. These are LTE modems, GPS receivers, and other modules that increase the autonomy of drones.
Particularly noteworthy are the Kometa satellite receivers, which are capable of blocking GPS jamming from the ground. This makes the drones more resistant to spoofing and jamming, which complicates the work of Ukrainian electronic warfare.
Ukraine's technological response
Ukraine is also actively developing drones and precision weapons. Among the key areas:
- introduction of artificial intelligence elements that allow the drone to independently re-aim at the target after it is captured by the operator;
- development of a "flock of drones" capable of simultaneously attacking an object;
- use of new combat units.
At the same time, the development of long-range Ukrainian missiles remains the main strategic direction. We are talking about projects (such as Flamingo) with the ability to hit targets at a distance of more than 3,000 km with a warhead of more than 1,100 kg. If such missiles go into mass production, this could be a real game changer in the war, as Ukraine will be able to strike symmetrically at Russian infrastructure in response to attacks on its own enterprises.
The use of drones with LTE connectivity demonstrates Russia's efforts to expand the capabilities of unmanned systems. However, technical limitations make them only an auxiliary tool, not the main method of control. More dangerous is the constant improvement of combat units and the use of foreign components, which allows them to circumvent sanctions.
For Ukraine, the development of its own technologies - from drones with artificial intelligence to long-range missiles that can change the balance of power in a war - remains a strategic task.