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International Symposium on Advanced Launch Technologies (ISALT 2022) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2460 (2023) 012164 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2460/1/012164

An Overview of Countermeasures Against Low-altitude,

Slow-speed Small UAVs

Zhang Chi1，Zhang Chun1，Kong Ruyi2，Xing Shiyong3 and Zhang Jiao3

1
Northwest Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Xianyang, Shanxi,
China
2
Military Representative Office of the PLA army equipment department, Xianyang,
Shanxi, China
3
Beijing Institute of Special Electromechanical Technology, Beijing, China.

Abstract. With the rapid development of air combat weapons and integrated air defense
system, air raid UAVs are developing towards miniaturization and clustering, which has higher
requirements for air defense weapon system and greater air defense difficulty. In view of the
threat of Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs to air defense system, this paper briefly
describes the basic classification of UAV, introduces the market demand of anti Low-altitude,
Slow-speed Small UAVs at the present stage, summarizes the basic strategies and five Damage
methods of anti Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs, and analyzes the advantages and
disadvantages of various methods, which provides a reference for understanding the current
research status and carrying out the next research work.

1. Battle example of Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs

On September 14, 2019 and September 6 this year, the husai armed forces in Yemen launched suicide
attacks on Saudi Aramco's "world's largest oil processing equipment" and oil field with 18 and 28
small UAVs and 7 and 16 missiles respectively, causing fires, resulting in a significant reduction in
Saudi Arabia's daily oil production and fluctuations in global oil supply [1].
In the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in September 2020, UAV and anti UAV operations have become
one of the main modes of operations between the two sides. In particular, Azerbaijan participated in
the war with a large number of UAV groups, complete types, great achievements and outstanding
performance, destroying a large number of main battle tanks, combat vehicles, artillery, pre alarm
radar and air defense weapons in Asia, which played a key role in Azerbaijan's final win of the war [2].
According to relevant statistics, there are 7 large-scale UAVs, 74 medium-sized UAVs and 190
small-scale UAVs on the Algerian side, with a ratio of 1:10.4:27.2. The number of small and
medium-sized UAVs on the Algerian side is mainly small and medium-sized UAVs, including 230
suicide UAVs (cruise missiles), accounting for 84.87% . As can be seen from the above war examples,
Anti low and slow small UAV has become an urgent need for battlefield air defense capability.

2. Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs threat

The U.S. Army lists UAV as one of the most destructive air threats among the five threat platforms
(fixed wing aircraft, UAV, ballistic missile, cruise missile and helicopter), and believes that UAV will
pose a threat to the whole process of operation [3]. Among them, the operational application of
Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs can include the following threat modes [4]:

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International Symposium on Advanced Launch Technologies (ISALT 2022) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2460 (2023) 012164 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2460/1/012164

1) Reconnaissance Detection
Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs has the advantages of strong penetration ability, high reuse
rate and low personnel risk. It can go deep into the enemy's front or depth, and use the optical or radar
detection equipment carried by the platform to carry out long-time, omni-directional and
high-precision real-time reconnaissance and detection. It is used for enemy's main battlefield
deployment and important targets, especially in air detection tasks.
2) Combat support
Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs carries different mission loads, and Low-altitude,
Slow-speed Small UAVs carries different mission loads to implement various forms of combat support,
including electronic jamming, target indication, damage assessment, etc.
Among them, electronic jamming mainly refers to a means by which UAVs carry different mission
loads, use radiated electromagnetic wave transmitters to actively interfere with enemy electronic
equipment or release passive jamming such as chaff and metal jamming wire, interfere with electronic
equipment all time and all frequency band, resulting in energy degradation, failure or even paralysis of
enemy radar, communication and other equipment.
Target indication is to provide target deployment, fire guidance, fire correction, target accurate
indication and other information for our own strike fire on the basis of reconnaissance and detection of
enemy targets.
Damage evaluation is to evaluate the damage effect by sending back the damage picture in real
time by low-speed small UAV, which is conducive to improve the air raid efficiency, reduce the loss of
weapons and ammunition, and realize the non-contact precision operation of fire attack.
3) Air defense fire consumption
The low-cost low-speed small UAV can be used as the bait of air defense fire, induce the enemy's
air defense fire to attack it, consume the enemy's air defense ammunition, expose the enemy's air
defense fire position, radio frequency, allocation and other information, and create favorable combat
time for our own side.
4) Ground attack
Low and slow small UAVs directly participate in operations by dropping bombs, launching missiles
and suicide attacks. Low and slow small UAV air strikes can be divided into two attack modes: cluster
saturation attack and swarm coordinated attack. When UAV cluster saturation attack, Low-altitude,
Slow-speed Small UAVs flies independently and carries out ground attack according to the
predetermined route. Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs flies independently and has no
cooperative relationship, so it is difficult to be effectively intercepted; When UAV swarm cooperative
attack, the Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs swarm adopts the UAV master-slave control strategy.
Each UAV carries out real-time autonomous control over the formation mode and the orientation of
each UAV through mutual cooperative communication. The whole formation flies in an orderly and
dense formation to complete the ground attack task, but the cooperative communication of UAVs in
the swarm is easy to be disturbed [5].

3. Market demand
In February 2016, the research report released by markets & markets, an American market
forecasting company, pointed out that the scale of global anti low and slow small UAVs will develop
rapidly at a compound annual growth rate of 23.89%, and will reach US $1.14 billion by 2023. The
report shows that the Asia Pacific region will be one of the regions with the fastest growth in the
demand for anti UAV Systems, and the anti UAV product market will be in short supply for a long
time [6].
Meanwhile, the research report released by markets & markets also clearly points out that the
military UAV market will grow rapidly at an annual rate of 12% from US $12.1 billion in 2018 to US
$26.8 billion in 2025. By 2029, the Asia Pacific region will become the largest military UAV market,
accounting for 37.8% of the global market.

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International Symposium on Advanced Launch Technologies (ISALT 2022) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2460 (2023) 012164 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2460/1/012164

4. Classification of anti UAV Technology

At present, the anti low and slow small UAV technologies in various countries are mainly divided into
three categories in terms of suppression form:
1) Jamming blocking anti UAV Technology
Transmit directional high-power interference RF to Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs,
interfere with satellite navigation signal or navigation data link of Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small
UAVs, so that Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs cannot obtain effective navigation information
and control signal, so as to make Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs group land or return by itself
[7]. Figure 1 shows the drone defender radio gun of the American Bartel organization, which belongs
to this kind of equipment.

Figure 1. drone defender radio gun of Bartel organization in the United States
2) Direct destruction anti UAV Technology
Use air defense missiles, anti-aircraft guns, high-energy laser weapons, high-power microwave
weapons and other technical means to launch kinetic energy killing elements, high-energy laser beams
or strong electromagnetic waves to low and slow small UAVs, resulting in structural damage of UAVs,
damage to electronic components of control system or hardware of execution system, and crash of low
and slow small UAVs.

Figure 2. high energy laser weapon strikes low and slow small UAV
3) Monitoring and control anti UAV Technology
By monitoring and identifying the transmission link code used by the low and slow small UAV,
invading the UAV remote control command center, and then controlling the UAV, the UAV is induced
to land in the designated area without losing the UAV. The technical requirements of monitoring and
control anti UAV technology are the most complex. Iran adopted this technology when it captured the
US rq-170 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft [7].
Three types of anti low and slow small UAV technologies have their own characteristics in
application. Interference blocking anti UAV technology adopts electromagnetic interference means,
which has the advantages of simple operation, low price and convenient carrying, but has high
requirements for environmental applicability and is not suitable for urban residential areas; The direct
destruction anti UAV technology obviously focuses on the military field, and the damage effect is clear,
but the price is expensive, which will cause permanent damage to the targets of low slow and small
UAVs; Monitoring and control anti UAV technology has low environmental requirements, can obtain

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International Symposium on Advanced Launch Technologies (ISALT 2022) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2460 (2023) 012164 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2460/1/012164

enemy intelligence and equipment, and has broad development potential. However, the technical
threshold is high.
In addition to the above suppression anti UAV technology, foreign countries are also developing
UAV capture anti UAV technology. This technology flies near the target aircraft through the UAV
carrying the capture net to identify and observe the target. If necessary, the capture net can be released
at an appropriate angle and at an appropriate accompanying speed to capture the target aircraft, This
method is suitable for capturing low and slow small UAVs with poor flight speed and maneuverability
[8].

5. Definition of Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs

In the U.S. anti UAV system technology report, the definition of low altitude slow small UAV system
(lssuas) refers to the low-speed and Small Tactical UAV operating at a lower altitude. This ability to
operate at low altitude reduces the possibility of being detected. It is a low-cost and high return
reconnaissance and surveillance means. The integrated air and missile defense capability can
effectively attack large-scale UAVs, but it has limitations in tracking, screening and attacking low
altitude slow small UAV Systems.
UAV systems can be divided into five categories:
Category 1: Micro UAV system, weighing about 9 kg, flying at an altitude of less than 0.4 km and a
speed of less than 185 km per hour, can usually be launched by hand, can provide real-time video and
control capability, and has small load capability;
Category 2: Small Tactical UAV system, weighing 10 ~ 25kg, flying less than 1km, speed less than
463km per hour, with small fuselage and low radar cross section, with medium-range endurance;
Category 3: Tactical UAV system, with a weight of 25 ~ 599 kg, a flight altitude of less than 6 km
and a speed of less than 463 km per hour, has greater logistical requirements compared with category 1
and category 2;
Category 4: persistent UAV system, with a weight of more than 599 kg, can fly at any speed below
6 km. The larger system can operate at medium altitude and high altitude, has expandable range and
endurance time, and needs to launch and recover runway;
Category 5: penetration UAV system, weighing more than 599 kg, can operate at any speed above 6
km, and needs to rely on large logistics similar to manned aircraft [9].
Low altitude slow small UAVs refer to category 1, category 2 and Category 3 UAVs.

6. Anti Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs strategy

The anti low and slow small UAV operation brings great pressure to the defense because of its
characteristics of low altitude, slow and small when detecting targets, low cost and saturation attack
during operation. When developing the anti low and slow small UAV technical means, we should learn
from the experience of foreign anti UAV test and actual combat, and focus on the "soft rib" and "dead
hole" of low and slow small UAV, Targeted attack on its weaknesses to form a relatively complete anti
low and slow small UAV equipment system, that is, aiming at the weaknesses in the design of low and
slow small UAVs, aiming at low cost, high efficiency and sustainability, through networking,
information, intelligent and specialized technologies, Realize the improvement of the anti low and
slow small UAV capability of the active equipment and the expansion of the anti low and slow small
UAV capability of the new equipment, reduce the investment in system construction, highlight the
multi equipment cooperative anti swarm combat capability based on the single equipment anti UAV,
and continuously increase the targeted training difficulty and intelligent level of anti low and slow
small UAV combat.
When the anti low and slow small UAV technology is applied in the battlefield environment, it is
usually based on the establishment of early warning, command, interference and attack system, the
combination of various technical measures, the comprehensive use of "soft" and "hard" Damage
methods, and a variety of damage mechanisms to implement multi-layer interception of UAV targets
and joint attack on ground control stations. To this end, the US Army is demonstrating and developing

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International Symposium on Advanced Launch Technologies (ISALT 2022) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2460 (2023) 012164 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2460/1/012164

a new generation of terminal 6-layer air defense network and multi type terminal air defense system in
order to solve the shortage of terminal defense against low and slow small UAVs; Russia has
developed the terminal air defense system represented by the "armor" series missile gun combination
system.

Figure 3. the six layer air defense network in the future envisaged by the U.S. Army

Figure 4. Russian "armor-s1" missile gun combined air defense system

7. Anti UAV Damage methods

7.1. electronic jamming system

The operational function of UAV depends very much on navigation, communication and data link. If
reconnaissance and interference are carried out on its data link, the radio transmission system between
UAV and ground control station cannot work effectively. At the same time, it interferes with its normal
reception of GPS satellite navigation signals, loses the planned autonomous navigation ability, and
makes it unable to fly or return according to the scheduled route, And trap it under certain conditions
[10].

7.2. high energy laser weapons

The high-energy laser weapon emits a high-power density laser beam to the target of the low and slow
small UAV, blinding the optical detector of the low and slow small UAV, melting, vaporizing and
perforating the structural surface, breaking the surface material and forming spallation, damaging the
target through the plasma radiation on the target surface [11]. High energy laser weapons developed
abroad are mainly used to fight various types of tactical UAVs.
High energy laser weapons have the characteristics of low combat cost and strong sustained combat
ability. They can continuously resist low-speed small UAVs in clusters and bees. However, the
working principle of high-energy laser weapon also makes it have some shortcomings in tactical
application, mainly manifested in high cost of platform equipment and support, poor all-weather
capability, and uncertain strike effect due to the influence of target motion characteristics and surface
material.

7.3. high power microwave weapons

The high-power microwave emitted by the high-power microwave weapon to the target of the

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International Symposium on Advanced Launch Technologies (ISALT 2022) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2460 (2023) 012164 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2460/1/012164

Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs, through acting on the electronic equipment of the
Low-altitude, Slow-speed Small UAVs, makes the circuit or electronic components of the equipment
invalid and burned, thus affecting the normal operation of the electronic equipment and making the
target lose the ability to complete the combat mission [12]. High energy laser weapons developed
abroad are mainly used to fight various types of tactical UAVs.
High power microwave weapon has the characteristics of low combat cost, good multi-target
resistance effect and strong sustained combat ability. It can continuously resist cluster and bee swarm
UAVs. However, the working principle of high-power microwave weapon also makes it have some
shortcomings in tactical application, which is mainly reflected in the high cost of platform equipment
and support, and the strike effect is easily affected by the target's own electrical system structure and
electromagnetic protection.
Although high-energy laser weapons and high-power microwave weapons have some shortcomings
in anti low, slow, small and unmanned to varying degrees, their shortcomings do not hide their
shortcomings. As new air defense means with development potential, high-energy laser weapons and
high-power microwave weapons have developed rapidly in various military powers.

7.4. air defense missile

Air defense missile has the characteristics of long range, strong maneuvering overload and high
damage probability. It is the main attack means of short-range / terminal air defense equipment.
However, when fighting against low-speed small UAV, it also shows the problems of high combat cost,
insufficient continuous combat capability and easy to be balanced by low-speed small UAV.
The cost of a single ammunition of portable air defense missile can reach hundreds of thousands of
yuan, and the cost of short-range infrared homing air defense missile can reach more than one million
yuan. When fighting against low and slow small UAV with weak infrared radiation characteristics
worth thousands of yuan, the homing seeker is difficult to lock the target, and the locking distance to
medium UAV is less than the air to ground ammunition guidance distance of UAV, which can not
effectively check and balance the target threat; The cost of short-range radio command air defense
missile is millions of yuan, the efficiency cost ratio of anti UAV is low, the detection ability of fuze to
weak and small RCS targets is poor, and the whole process of guidance process is vulnerable to attack
by anti radiation UAVs such as "hubby"; The cost of radar homing air defense missile is higher, and
the fuze also has the problem of poor detection ability to weak and small RCS targets; The
maneuvering overload capability and warhead damage capability of air defense missile are aimed at
high maneuvering manned aircraft, and the capability is surplus when attacking Low-altitude,
Slow-speed Small UAVs; In addition, the active air defense missile weapon system usually carries
dozens of bombs. When it resists the cluster or swarm attack of hundreds of low and slow small UAVs,
its continuous combat capability is insufficient. Therefore, air defense missiles are not the priority
means of anti low and slow small UAVs.

7.5. antiaircraft guns and special ammunition

Antiaircraft artillery air defense has the characteristics of fierce firepower, strong mobility and good
anti-interference ability. It is the main attack means of short-range / terminal air defense equipment. In
particular, the rapid development of special anti UAV ammunition in recent years also shows the
advantages of low operation cost, strong continuous operation ability and high probability of
destruction and annihilation when fighting against low, slow and small UAVs.
Taking the 35mm special anti low and slow small UAV ahead ammunition developed by Rhine
metal company of Germany as an example, the code of this type is pmd375 35 × 288 ammunition
adopts the operational principle of ahead ammunition. Each bullet contains 860 bullets with a mass of
0.64g. When it is used to attack the target of low and slow small UAV, 25 bullets will be fired at a time,
forming a barrage with a diameter of 7m in front of the target. The barrage contains 21500 bullets,
with high bullet / fragment density, forming the ability to intercept low and slow small UAV with high
probability [12].

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International Symposium on Advanced Launch Technologies (ISALT 2022) IOP Publishing
Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2460 (2023) 012164 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/2460/1/012164

At the same time, the United States, Russia and other countries are also actively developing 50mm
and 57mm caliber air defense guidance ammunition to intercept low and slow small UAVs, and make
up for the small interception airspace of small caliber anti-aircraft guns through the long-range
precision strike capability of guided ammunition.
With the rapid development of special anti low and slow small UAV ammunition for various types
of anti-aircraft guns, the anti-aircraft guns have radiated new vitality in the field of fighting against
low and slow small UAVs. The special ammunition for anti-aircraft guns has well balanced the
contradiction between killing element capability density and quantity density in air defense operations,
and has become the most effective means of terminal attacking low and slow small UAVs with low
cost and reliable damage mechanism, It is one of the important directions of anti low speed small UAV
technology in the future.

8. Conclusion
Anti UAV combat is a new type of combat style. In particular, with the increasing threat of low and
slow UAVs on the battlefield, it has become one of the main air defense combat styles in the future.
The comprehensive use of various effective air defense attack means to form multi-level and multi
mechanism combat capability is the technical development direction of anti low and slow UAVs and
the hot spot of the technical development of military power, We should explore from the perspective of
technology and tactics to solve the thorny problems of anti low and slow small UAVs at present and in
the future, build a relatively complete anti low and slow small UAV technical system, give full play to
the technical advantages of various Damage methods, and form an equipment system with optimized
comprehensive effect.

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