Ukraine Is Building Drones That Hunt Targets on Their Own Using Heat Signatures

Ukraine is developing new technologies to enable interceptor drones to autonomously detect and engage aerial targets using infrared guidance systems.

Denys Lohvynenko, head of UAV development at Ukraine’s defense tech cluster Brave1, said in comments to Militarnyi on March 30, that work is underway to integrate infrared homing systems into interceptor drones. “Active work is ongoing in this direction,” he said, noting that the goal is to simplify and automate the interception process as much as possible.

According to Militarnyi, the initiative focuses on reducing operator involvement by enabling drones to independently track and strike targets. Lohvynenko added that while infrared seekers are a key component, the broader challenge lies in ensuring the overall system’s reliability.

Infrared homing systems are widely used in modern missile technology and are generally more compact and cost-effective than active radar seekers such as those found in systems like the AIM-120 AMRAAM or Russia’s R-77. According to Militarnyi, contemporary infrared systems are capable of detecting objects with minimal temperature differences relative to their surroundings.

The report notes that modern imaging infrared (IIR) seekers can generate full thermal images of a target, improving tracking accuracy and resistance to decoys compared to earlier systems that focused only on heat sources such as engine exhaust. These technologies became more widespread in the 2000s and significantly enhanced targeting performance.

According to Militarnyi, alternative approaches still exist, including systems based on linear sensor arrays that rely on mechanical scanning to create two-dimensional images. Hybrid guidance solutions are also in use globally.

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For example, Japan’s Type 91 man-portable air defense system combines visible-spectrum targeting with infrared tracking to improve performance against low-signature targets such as small drones.

Earlier, according to Ukrainian servicemember and platoon commander Tetiana Chornovol on March 23, Ukrainian forces tested a modified FPV drone equipped with both fiber-optic and radio control systems, allowing it to continue its mission if one link fails.

The dual-control setup was developed to address frequent signal losses and has already been implemented in a limited batch of drones produced in coordination with the manufacturer “General Chereshnia.”

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