A Kyiv startup has developed a handheld receiver that allows Ukrainian soldiers to watch a Russian drone key, live, while it’s still in the air. The device is called the D-Vision SDR and weighs slightly more than a smartphone.
Small intelligence. Many Russian drones transmit their camera images unencrypted, so that anyone with the right receiver can tune in. And with this small device made by manufacturer CODE380, a Ukrainian unit can easily see where an attack drone is heading and what its pilot is pointing at before impact, invaluable information for taking cover or moving equipment.
How it works. As Defense News points out, the D-Vision SDR is a software-defined radio, meaning that most of its work is done through software rather than specific hardware. According to the media, it explores frequencies from 500 MHz to 8.7 GHz and converts the signals it finds into video on a screen.
The developers announced to the Ukrainian media DOU that it scans the entire range without blind spots and is more sensitive than competing detectors. Because the logic is in software, it can be updated when Russia changes the characteristics of its drones.
Statistics. According to Militarnyi Media, the figures put the receiver’s range up to 10 kilometers for analog video at frequencies between 540 MHz and 6 GHz. At higher frequencies, the range decreases to between 3.5 and 5 km. The device is also passive, meaning it only listens and does not emit anything on its own.
Defense News describes the device as part of a growing suite of inexpensive, passive Ukrainian sensors that work alongside radars, acoustic sensors and interceptors rather than replacing them.
Weight is its main asset. At about 290 grams, the D-Vision SDR weighs less than half that of its main Ukrainian rivals, according to Defense News. Thus, it is significantly lighter than Babai’s Vydun 7.5, about 900 grams and coverage up to 7.5 GHz; SENSE-4 from Contra-Drone, with coverage up to 600g and 8.2 GHz; Or the Chuyka 3.0 from BlueBird Tech, up to 650 grams and upgradeable to 8.8 GHz.
Melania factor. The receiver sweep covers the 4.1 to 4.5 GHz band, which Russia’s Molnya attack drone began using for video in June. Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, a radio expert and adviser to Ukraine’s president, explained on Facebook in June that most detectors “do not see these frequencies or see them poorly,” adding that over-reliance on detectors can cost operators their lives.
limit Beskrestnov warns that digital video may eventually replace analog video, rendering portable detectors and fixed analog receiving stations ineffective. Digital transmissions are also difficult for many receivers to decode, and fiber-optic drones, which are operated by a physical cable, don’t send anything into the air that can be intercepted.
Defense News adds that Russia is already designing drone variants with hack-to-hack video, citing Molnya as an example. In addition, the New York Times reported in August that some Molnias are operated by AI, use Nvidia chips and do not emit any signals.
Cover image D.O.U
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