In the event of a war to defend the Fatherland, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are likely to be widely employed by an adversary in air-attack operations because of their versatility, multi-role capability, diverse modes of operation and high combat effectiveness. Consequently, researching and proposing effective countermeasures against these platforms is an urgent, strategic priority for the armed forces, with the anti-aircraft artillery forces serving as the core element.

The emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represents a breakthrough in military science and technology. Thanks to decisive advantages in manufacturing costs, continual improvements and upgrades to their multi-role capabilities, especially the application of Fourth Industrial Revolution advances such as artificial intelligence and novel materials, these platforms have undergone breakthrough development.

Notably, UAV trends show increasingly compact, sophisticated designs that are hard to detect and destroy, able to penetrate air-defence systems with ease and introduce an element of surprise into strike operations. Their multifunctional roles (acting as radar decoys, command-and-control nodes, communications relays, information processors and strike platforms) have produced new, challenging modes of warfare that are difficult to counter on the air-defence battlefield. Drawing on historical studies of the Liberation War in Vietnam, recent global conflicts and the evolving theory of modern warfare, it is clear that in a future War to Defend the Fatherland, UAVs will be widely employed by adversaries in large numbers, using diverse and complex tactics; they will become among the most important and hazardous targets for air-defence forces, particularly anti-aircraft artillery units.

This article proposes a set of measures to strengthen the anti-UAV combat and destruction capabilities of anti-aircraft artillery forces under the new operational conditions likely to characterise a War to Defend the Fatherland.

First, review experiences and develop the doctrinal theory for countering unmanned aerial vehicles. Although responding to and engaging UAVs is not entirely new for anti-aircraft artillery forces, the rapid, varied and increasingly sophisticated evolution of UAVs in recent conflicts worldwide (characterised by longer endurance, higher ceilings, ultrasmall forms, vertical take-off and landing capability, integrated artificial intelligence, swarm tactics and kamikaze munitions) creates an urgent need to research and develop a coherent theory of operations for effectively countering these platforms. Accordingly, priority should be given to funding in-depth studies on UAV development trends, technical capabilities, tactics and operational modes, and on the specific challenges, threats and risks UAVs pose to the operational effectiveness of anti-aircraft artillery forces. On that basis, planners must assess likely timing, vectors and scale of UAV employment, anticipate plausible operational scenarios for UAV use in modern warfare, and propose tactical solutions, employment concepts, force disposition plans and force structures that make scientific use of weaponry, equipment and technical assets at each echelon, tailored to local geographic conditions. Research findings should be rigorously tested and evaluated, then concretised and incorporated into training curricula, education programmes and live-fire exercises for anti-aircraft artillery units. Doing so will steadily improve practical capabilities to prevent, counter and defeat UAVs in peacetime and in war, and will contribute to the development of air-defence doctrine and a people’s air-defence posture for countering UAVs in modern operations.

A live-firing exercise of the anti-aircraft artillery forces

Second, enhance the quality of training and exercises for counter-UAV operations. Improving the quality of training and exercises to match changing operational conditions and environments is a crucial measure for raising the combat readiness and effectiveness of anti-aircraft artillery units. Such activities must be conducted continuously in peacetime so that personnel and units possess the requisite combat skills when war breaks out. Training should concentrate on: distinguishing characteristic visual signatures and flight profiles of different UAV types; live-fire drills against single targets and dense formation targets; raising the level of situational analysis and decision-making under varied conditions, with particular emphasis on night firing and operations in adverse weather; and practising UAV-defeat missions to protect vulnerable assets across different forms of operations. Exercises must impose progressively higher and more realistic demands and include tactical drills as well as command-staff exercises at one or two echelons. Whatever the format or purpose of the exercise, the assumed enemy composition must be flexible and reflective of the adversary’s UAV development trends, with priority given to the use of simulation technologies and virtual battlefields. For each scenario, forces must have adaptive and appropriate anti-aircraft employment plans founded on lessons learned from past combat and contemporary operational art, and utilising current scientific and technological advances. Emphasis should be placed on joint exercises with the air-defence components of the three services within the territorial defence area to coordinate detection, warning, notification and alerting procedures, and to synchronise suppression, interception and destruction of UAVs.

Third, organise forces, deploy combat formations, apply appropriate fires and employ flexible tactics and methods to destroy enemy UAVs. As effective combat platforms, modern UAVs are often small and exploit low-altitude, highly manoeuvrable flight profiles, so traditional early-warning reconnaissance systems that rely solely on radar risk missing them. To defeat UAVs, the primary requirement is timely detection followed by prompt warning, alerting and target designation for combat units to engage. Accordingly, the air-surveillance system must be regarded as decisive for preventing surprise and avoiding missed engagement opportunities by anti-aircraft artillery forces. The surveillance system should be constructed through the close integration of radar stations, electronic observation posts, visual observation posts, local reconnaissance elements at firing positions and the command post, thereby forming an interlocking reconnaissance network in which components compensate for each other’s gaps. This network will not only detect targets and provide earlier warning but also generate the time necessary for accurate engagement decisions. To maximise effectiveness, observation stations should be sited on high ground, at key approaches and along main avenues of advance; visual lookout posts should be prioritised to make up for radar blind spots at extremely low altitudes. At the same time, reconnaissance personnel assigned to visual observation posts must receive intensified training to recognise the characteristic silhouettes and flight behaviours of UAVs so they can identify them promptly and report without delay.

In organisational terms, anti-aircraft artillery units typically engage UAVs in battalion-level fire clusters or with several battalions acting together. Forces should be deployed in depth to create a multi-tiered, layered fires system that engages the enemy from long to short ranges, establishing a fire zone with both breadth and depth and a high degree of overlapping coverage. Deployment areas may be dispersed, but fires must be concentrated, maintaining interleaved and continuous fire capability at all times. Units should manoeuvre flexibly to transform the battle formation, gaining the tactical initiative to engage the enemy effectively while minimising collateral damage and conserving forces. Given the generally small and sometimes very small radar and visual cross-sections of many UAVs, concentrated fire is required to increase munition density and achieve effective destruction. Consequently, fire plans must be flexible, selecting appropriate firing opportunities and engagement ranges.

Notably, because the effective engagement range of many anti-aircraft guns is often less than 6,000 metres, late detection at close range can severely constrain engagement windows and shorten available firing time. Commanders must therefore exercise flexible and decisive command, combining centralised intent with distributed execution, and minimise procedural delays. When a target is detected, subordinate fire teams should be authorised to open fire from the outer limits of the engagement area as quickly as possible to maximise engagement time and volume of fire, thereby improving kill probability.

Fourth, ensure robust logistics and support. Anti-aircraft artillery units are equipped with high-rate-of-fire weapons that have limited range and altitude but require rapid reaction and high mobility. All of which place exacting demands on support (communications, logistics, maintenance, mobility, etc.). To meet these demands, anti-aircraft forces must proactively prepare and closely co-ordinate with other services to establish a resilient, continuous and wide-ranging communications network to sustain uninterrupted command and control.

Positioning must be flexible: each battery should plan for two to three emplacements on different approaches linked to primary and secondary movement routes; build hardened fighting positions and shelters to reduce casualties from enemy strikes; and practise dispersal of ammunition dumps, weapons, towing vehicles, fuel and rations across multiple locations so that logistical and technical support is not interrupted. Ensure appropriate towing vehicles and transport assets are available and maintain mobile repair units to preserve the mobility and operational readiness of the guns.

As anti-aircraft gun emplacements themselves are prime targets for UAV attack, units must minimise electromagnetic and thermal signatures when firing and place special emphasis on combining tactical and technical countermeasures against high-technology threats. Concealment and camouflage of positions, use of decoy and dummy emplacements to deceive the enemy, and exploiting complex terrain and weather for force dispersion and continuous manoeuvre are essential.

Operations against UAVs, given the increasing sophistication of these platforms and the emergence of new forms and tactics of aerial attack, present anti-aircraft artillery forces with numerous challenges that demand timely and effective solutions. To accomplish their mission, anti-aircraft artillery units must continuously study, innovate and develop effective engagement methods; maintain rigorous training programmes; build solid defensive dispositions; and ensure comprehensive logistical and technical preparation. At the same time, they must remain constantly vigilant, strictly adhere to duty and alert procedures, and ensure the timely detection, resolute engagement and effective destruction of hostile UAVs attempting intrusion or air strikes. Through these measures, the anti-aircraft artillery force will make a vital contribution to the control and steadfast defence of the national airspace.

Senior Colonel, Dr NGUYEN PHUC HAI and Senior Colonel, M.A. MAI TUAN ANH
Air Defence – Air Force Academy