Jamming-resistant fiber-optic drones that use a hard wire instead of radio frequencies appeared at a recent US Navy Silent Swarm exercise in Michigan. The systems include small quadcopters equipped with spools of fiber-optic cable and handheld controllers. The exercise focused on emerging uncrewed aerial and surface vehicles and electronic-warfare capabilities, with about 50 defense companies participating. Swarms of drones were used to simulate attacks on locations in Thunder Bay, and data and feedback were gathered to evaluate which systems performed most effectively. Fiber-optic drones are already prominent as jamming counters in the Ukraine conflict.
Photos posted by the Michigan National Guard, which were first spotted and reported on by The War Zone, show what looks like a fiber-optic drone sitting on a rocky beach. The small, black quadcopter drone is equipped with a spool for a fiber-optic cable. Another photo shows another drone with a spool sitting on a table at the exercise, as well as an Xbox-like controller next to it.
Other UAVs were also present, as well as uncrewed ground vehicles featuring four wheels parked in the sand on the beach. Silent Swarm involved some 50 defense companies and had the Navy, Michigan National Guard, and other participants use swarms of drones to simulate attacks on locations in Thunder Bay, according to a Guard press release on the exercise. Data and feedback were gathered to provide insights into which systems were the most effective.
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