MOSCOW, — Russia may develop a service similar to Flightradar for tracking Ukrainian drones, according to Alexey Chadayev, CEO of the Ushkuynik Research and Production Center.
Chadayev told Russia’s state news agency TASS that the first step would be to establish a unified sensor network operator because the current process of detecting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is fragmented.
Proposed Unified Sensor Network
Chadayev said the proposed network could be developed using existing infrastructure operated by Rostelecom and major Russian cellular companies. He specifically pointed to telecommunications towers and fiber-optic cables as the foundation for the network.
According to Chadayev, negotiations on creating such a unified sensor network operator are already underway. He said Russia needs a specialized system similar to Flightradar, but designed for tracking drones.
The proposed system would bring information from different detection sources into a common network. It would allow personnel involved in countering UAVs to see detected targets, identify them and assign tracking numbers.
Coordinating Drone Interception
Chadayev said the system would also help coordinate which unit is tracking a particular UAV and which unit would ultimately intercept it.
He highlighted the importance of controlling where a drone is intercepted because falling debris can cause damage on the ground. According to Chadayev, one of the main challenges is destroying a drone in a location where its descent causes the least possible damage.
The proposal therefore focuses not only on detecting drones but also on creating a common picture of their movement and coordinating the response among those involved in counter-UAV operations.
Earlier Proposal for Civilian Low-Altitude Airspace Control
Chadayev had previously supported the creation of a unified federal civilian low-altitude airspace control system in Russia to counter Ukrainian drones.
His latest proposal would use existing telecommunications infrastructure as part of a broader sensor network rather than relying only on separate detection systems.
The proposal comes as Russia continues developing systems designed to combine drone detection and counter-UAV capabilities. For example, Russia's High Precision Systems has said its systems can combine radar and optoelectronic detection with other air-defense systems to create a unified air situation picture.
At this stage, the Flightradar-like drone tracking service remains a proposal discussed by Chadayev, with negotiations involving Rostelecom and major cellular operators reported as underway. TASS did not report that a nationwide operational service has already been established.
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