1696
Former Marine Troy Smothers was inspired by a Russian FPV drone controlled by a fiber optic cable. In seven months, he invented a drone that hits targets 90% of the time.
Former US Marine, volunteer Troy Smothers developed a technology in seven months that allows Ukrainian drones to avoid being jammed by Russian EW devices. He shared the secrets of the technology with Forbes magazine.
The inventor was inspired by an article in Forbes about a new experimental Russian FPV drone controlled by an operator via a fiber optic cable rather than a radio signal.
"I knew right away that this was exactly what our Ukrainian forces needed," Smothers said.
The idea of fiber-optic UAVs was initially risky: many skeptics argued that the cable would get tangled or break, and the flight range would be too short without the ability to maneuver.
"Russian electronic warfare is becoming more intense, more and more systems are deployed along the front line. Already 50% or more of Ukrainian FPVs have been intercepted. In some districts, the rate was much higher," the author of the article noted.
Smothers started building his own fiber-optic drone and realized that unlike the US military, which can afford $50 attack drones, the Ukrainians needed affordable solutions. The American showed the technology at meetings with almost all manufacturing companies in Ukraine, up to the state-owned Ukroboronprom.
"I showed them how you could attach a little extra hardware and turn an FPV into a fiber optic drone for less than $200," he says.
Smothers gave everyone a chance to test drive the prototype and see how it flies. The spool and mechanism added weight, but left enough space for the warhead. The cable did not break or tangle, and the maneuverability was more than enough for attacks at a distance of several kilometers.
Next, the inventor tested the drone on the front line with the "Foreign Legion", the fighters attacked the Russian position with it. Everyone watched on the monitor with the broadcast, the drone performed as flawlessly as it did in the demonstrations.
“When he hit, there was a loud roar. I had a sense of accomplishment," says Smothers.
After that, several more confirmed successful hits by Ukrainian fiber-optic FPV drones were recorded. The percentage of hitting targets is at least 80-90%, which is much higher than that of radio-controlled drones.
