Russian "Barrier" Drones Can Release Smoke to Cover Troops

Reference News Network, April 8 According to the Russian newspaper "Izvestia" website on April 3, the Russian military has begun using the "Barrier" unmanned vehicle in the special military operation area. This small tracked unmanned vehicle can deploy smoke to conceal friendly personnel and equipment from enemy detection. It can be used for both defense and offense. Military experts point out that this unmanned equipment is particularly useful in supporting assault groups during operations, helping to avoid detection by enemy infantry or first-person view (FPV) drones.

The "Barrier" unmanned vehicle uses the "Torpedo" universal tracked chassis and is equipped with two large smoke dispensers that can deploy obscuring smoke on the battlefield or in rear areas.

An engineer from the Russian volunteer unit "Seagull" unmanned systems independent regiment stated in an interview with "Izvestia" that the duration and intensity of the smoke deployed by the "Barrier" depend on the capacity of the smoke dispensers installed on the vehicle, which can be remotely controlled via radio.

Developers said, "In a battle on the outskirts of Kramatorsk, the operator successfully used the 'Barrier' unmanned vehicle to make the enemy believe that an attack would be launched in another area, thus overlooking the presence of nearby Russian forces."

Oleg Zheltunov, a military expert in radiation, chemical, and biological protection, stated in an interview with "Izvestia" that, in the context of the widespread use of unmanned equipment, the issue of battlefield camouflage has become particularly important.

He said, "There is nothing better than a smoke barrier: it can completely hide positions and assault troops in specific areas. The Russian military has a large amount of related special equipment, including smoke deployment vehicles based on infantry fighting vehicles and tank chassis. However, these pieces of equipment are larger and difficult to deploy to the front lines in situations where the enemy extensively uses drones, as they can quickly be detected and destroyed by the enemy in unfavorable conditions."

Military expert Yuri Lyamin stated that currently, Russian armored equipment is a priority target for Ukrainian strikes and is not suitable for use in all situations.

He pointed out, "Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are expensive but can be easily destroyed by cheap tactical drones. Therefore, unless there is a special need, the Russian military will not use armored equipment to deploy smoke. Soldiers can carry smoke grenades or smoke dispensers if necessary, but these pieces of equipment are not very practical: they require consideration of wind direction during use and produce less smoke."

Additionally, carrying smoke grenades and dispensers adds extra weight for soldiers, making it inconvenient for them to perform maneuvers or conduct independent operations.

Zheltunov believes that in this situation, unmanned vehicles like the "Barrier" would be a valuable assistant for soldiers.

Lyamin noted, "This unmanned vehicle should be able to provide protection at any time of the day. During the day, using regular smoke is sufficient to protect troops from FPV drone attacks. At night, smoke with special components can be used to 'blind' the enemy's night vision devices and drones equipped with thermal imaging." (Translated by Liu Yang)