Russian media reports that Pervyy Dirizhabl (First Dirigible) has developed a drone protection system comprising a net that is attached to aerostats.
The company produces the aerostats with an operating altitude of up to 300 metres and maximum payload capacity of 30 kg while the nets are manufactured by another supplier. The drone protection system, which Pervyy Dirizhabl calls Barrier, has been tested and the company says it has received preliminary orders.
When drones are detected approaching an object, the aerostats are designed to rise into the air and catch them with a net. The net is then separated from the aerostat, and a new net can be installed.
The Russian military is already using aerostats for surveillance and reconnaissance. Pervyy Dirizhabl was inspired to create the Barrier system after seeing photographs from the First World War of airships with chains suspended underneath for defence.
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Image: Russian AKV-05 aerostat with optical sensors, pictured near the Finnish border in 2024. Credit: Russia 1 television
