Russian engineers have proposed a new drone detection system based on cellular communication towers.
The system analyzes surrounding sounds, locates the drone, and then sends the coordinates to Russian military air defense systems within several tens of seconds.
The project was developed by a Russian engineering team, and a prototype has been created. This complex is considered an advanced system for aerial surveillance, early warning, and communications. The development relies on existing cellular communications infrastructure for drone detection.
Special microphones were designed to be mounted on cellular communication towers to record ambient sounds. A small processor, mounted at a specific height, then uses real-time technology to separate external noise from the drone's distinctive sound. The processed signal is then sent to a server, where it is compared to a database of audio samples.
When the system confirms the presence of a target, air defense units or mobile task force personnel receive an immediate alert with the coordinates. The entire processing takes several tens of seconds. The system then compares the signal to a database and distinguishes between an attack drone, a car, a helicopter, an aircraft, and other acoustic sources.
The developers point out that the system operates in passive mode, meaning it does not emit radio signals, and therefore cannot be jammed by electronic warfare. A single microphone has a detection range of approximately 1.5 km. With sufficient sensor density, the system allows for tracking the drone's flight path.
The cost of equipping the entire Moscow Ring Road was estimated at about 134 million rubles, while the cost on the Central Ring Road in the Moscow region was 622 million rubles, while the price of the Tor missile air defense system is about 25 billion rubles.
