Ukraine develops breakthrough system to detect drones earlier than radar
Founder of Octava Capital, IT millionaire Oleksandr Kardakov (Photo: NV/ Oleksandr Medvedev)
A new-generation acoustic alert system developed in Ukraine can predict the exact moment and direction of incoming drones for mobile fire units, tech entrepreneur Oleksandr Kardakov said in an interview with NV on Apr. 6.
“Two to three years ago, an acoustic alert system was deployed. At the time, it was highly relevant and provided a general picture of what was happening in the sky ‘by sound and by sight.’ We have developed the next generation of detection systems, where sensors have an array of seven microphones and are combined into fields covering hundreds of square kilometers,” Kardakov said.
The founder of Octava Capital noted that, using triangulation from dozens of sensors, the system generates data as the sound source moves, recalculating angles to track the object along its trajectory. “A mobile fire unit already knows the exact second and direction from which a drone will appear. Alternatively, those operating interceptor drones can switch on radar and launch a drone before it becomes visible on their radar.”
Speaking about the system’s effectiveness, he said: “One hundred percent detection with an accuracy margin of 3% to 5%.”
At the same time, he noted there is little to compare it with. “Previously, there was only an alert system — ‘something flew somewhere.’ But this is not a silver bullet; it must work in combination with radars and other detection systems,” Kardakov said.
Describing how mobile fire units operate with acoustic sensors, he said: “The main task is to deploy a strip at least 10 kilometers wide, located 30 to 40 kilometers away from them. Before they see or even hear an approaching object — especially at low altitude — they already know what is flying, how many objects there are, where they are heading and what their target is. That is the essence of acoustic detection. It is precise pre-targeting. We deploy such a zone, and for two to three weeks it works very effectively. Then the enemy identifies the area and begins to bypass it. You need a continuous strip — then they cannot get through. Military units have already begun to trust this and use it, but it took us two years to achieve this.”
Asked about the cost of such a “strip,” Kardakov said: “We cover about 70 square kilometers for roughly $50,000. That is 10 sensors densely covering that area. Of course, they must be connected to the internet and power supply. They are not mobile — they are stationary, with complex software and artificial intelligence. Installed once, they operate indefinitely. A radar covers a somewhat larger area, but it is significantly more expensive, costing millions, and it can fail.”
Speaking about export potential, Kardakov said: “It exists purely in theory. There has been interest for a long time, but practical negotiations are only now beginning. For now, it remains at the level of discussions. There are other systems in the country that work quite well. We are not trying to compete with them, because our niche is rapid sound processing and fast integration of targeting data for specific mobile fire units and interceptor systems. We are continuing to improve this. Our goal is autonomous targeting and pre-targeting of automated turrets, which we are already developing, though I cannot yet share details.”
Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine had achieved a significant breakthrough and can now produce drones with minimal reliance on Chinese components.
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