How Strong is Optical Fiber for FPV Drones? (Video)
When experiments to use optical fiber to control FPV drones first began, allowing for the complete neutralization of any electronic warfare (EW), they were met with some skepticism. Allegedly, thin fiber would be fragile and prone to tearing, while thick and strong fiber would be too heavy.
A very simple and clear answer to the question was given by Ukrainian expert in the field of electronic warfare and UAVs, Serhii Beskrestnov with callsign Flash who showed the optical fiber used in russian FPV drones in a video.
As we can see, it is not easy to tear even such a thin optical fiber. It holds approximately 30-40 kg, but it breaks very easily if it is bent. In terms of practical application on FPV drones, it is worth noting that the drone carries the coil, which uncoils as it moves. This means that the fiber just falls to the ground.
It should be noted that the use of optical fiber is not something new. This communication technology has long been used on anti-tank missiles, such as the Israeli Spike missile. These missiles fly much faster and maneuver with heavier loads during flight.
It should be added that the number of FPV drones on optical fiber continues to grow gradually. For the first time, they began to be actively discussed in March of this year. First, a russian model appeared, and later Ukrainian developers demonstrated a domestic FPV drone on optical fiber.
It should also be noted that although the use of optical fiber does offer an advantage, there are three important factors that can offset the main advantage of such drones.
Earlier War Ukraine-Russia News Hub reported that russian forces had installed Zerkaltse EW systems on their reconnaissance UAVs.