Russia develops "Spider" system to detect drones by sound

Russia’s Uzhkuynik Scientific and Production Centre is developing an acoustic system called “Spider” that can detect drones by sound.

The system consists of a network of autonomous acoustic sensors, some of which can be deployed by air and dropped into designated areas. The developers say “Spider” can determine a drone’s direction and speed of flight, as well as identify its type.

The system has a detection range of up to 200 meters for small drones and more than 1,000 meters for larger aircraft.

“Thanks to neural network technologies, our system is trainable, and when new drones appear, it will be possible to teach it to identify them as well,” Mikhail Budenny, a representative of the developers, told the media.

It will not be easy to put "Spider" out of action: the loss of a few sensors will not prevent the rest from continuing to operate.

"If it is detected, it is virtually impossible to destroy it — no one would waste an expensive long-range missile on destroying one or two easily replaceable and inexpensive sensors," noted military expert Yuri Lyamin.

Another advantage of the system is the ability to deploy sensors in hard-to-reach terrain, including in forests, marshes and along riverbeds.

The developers are preparing the system for deployment, with current reports describing the network as comprising autonomous sensors that can be installed manually or dropped from unmanned aircraft.

By Tamilla Hasanova