Radio transmission is the weak point of modern military drones.
The new British military jet-propelled "Hydra 400"quadcopter is an interesting design.
The new jet-propelled drone is an interesting design. The jet-propelled quadcopter can fly fast. And it can raise more cargo from the ground than electric engine drones. There is a possibility that these kinds of quadcopters can used as "quad autogyros".
In those designs, the quadcopters use their quad rotors for lift-off and landing. During a long-distance flight. The drone can use free-rotation propellers and a jet engine. And that thing makes those drones fast.
Those drones can used as kamikaze drones. Or they can launch missiles like Javelins if they are connected to them. The kamikaze quadcopters are interesting tools because they can observe the area. And if there are no targets those drones can return to base.
But if there are some kind of targets the drone can make it's surveillance mission and then attack targets when their flight time ends. The drones can use an image-recognition homing system that allows them to take out targets with very high accuracy.
Above Hydra-drone.
The military is interested in independently operating drones is that those drones don't require full-time communication between the drone and HQ. The Ukraine war shows how dangerous full-time radio communication is. If the electronic intelligence finds the transmitter, the enemy can turn every cannon against those command centers. So the kamikaze-recon drone can transmit data to the command center and then dive against the target. And that helps to hide the place of the command system.
The full-time operating radio transmissions are dangerous for drone swarms. The drone swarm where hundreds of members is a suitable target for large anti-aircraft missiles or AA grenades. Similar ELINT systems that are used for track radio transmitters also aim AA cannons at those drone swarms. High-power radio waves can jam the data communication in that drone swarm.
Those missiles could equipped with a similar homing system as HARM (High-speed Anti Radiation missiles). The HARM-type missiles are also deadly against any radio transmitters.
Normally HARM is shot from the aircraft. Portable shoulder-launched Stinger missiles also have a so-called "Anti-radiation variant" called Stinger ARM (Anti-Radiation Missiles) that can detect and destroy enemy radiation sources. That makes radio telephones missile magnets if the enemy can track their positions by using radio detectors.
But there is the possibility that those missiles can be mounted on rocket launchers or warships. Warships can also use those missiles against enemy surface combat unit's radars. And that means the artillery rockets and grenades can have a warhead that can detect radio transmitters.
https://interestingengineering.com/military/british-army-jet-propelled-drones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogyro
