Reconnaissance drones versus FPV interceptors: how the Vector from Quantum Systems takes evasive action

On 22 July, “Payload”, a Russian Telegram channel focusing on drone analysis, identified a sensor on Vector reconnaissance drones from Quantum Systems that apparently belongs to an anti-interception system. This is likely to have prompted Quantum Systems to publish some information about it on its own LinkedIn channel.

The company writes:

The operational environment in Ukraine is changing faster than procurement cycles. First-person view (FPV) interceptors have become one of the greatest threats to the reconnaissance drones flying there. Vector has adapted accordingly. The yellow is the visible part – a summer fuselage that is barely discernible against the dry Ukrainian fields.— Quantum Systems

Defence against unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is the less visible part. Interceptors approach from behind, and around half of Vector's missions take place at night, which rules out optical detection. A rear-facing thermal camera nevertheless detects the approach. The on-board AI classifies it, the aircraft performs the evasive manoeuvre on its own, and the operator does not have to turn their attention to something that has already been dealt with. This is not armour. Nothing survives every interception attempt. But out there the requirements are constantly being redefined, and the airframe responds at the same pace— Quantum Systems, concluding

Der Storch ist mein Hero of the week!
Evasive Maneuvering gegen russische FPV.
Drohnen mit Goldrandpreisen können nicht annähernd womit Mutter Natur diesen Vogel ausgestattet hat. ?#WarOfDrones pic.twitter.com/W6fjFDZmr3— Martin Rosenkranz?￰ﾟﾇﾹ?￰ﾟﾇﾺ?￰ﾟﾇﾳ?￰ﾟﾇﾦ?￰ﾟﾇﾱ (@MartinRosenkra3) May 27, 2026

Camouflage and evasive manoeuvres of the reconnaissance drones

According to the information, the colour of the drone is adapted to the colour currently predominant in the landscape of the war zone. The sensor on the tail of the Vector is likely to be an infrared camera. If it detects an approaching interceptor drone, the on-board computer triggers an autonomous evasive manoeuvre. Russian sources have so far not published any videos of this – but it is obvious that the manoeuvres are known.

By mid-July, the FPV air-defence forces (FPV: first-person view) of “Rubikon” , an elite drone formation of the Russian armed forces, claim to have intercepted more than 4,000 Ukrainian drones, 400 of them between 1 and 17 June alone. For 2026 as a whole, Rubikon states that it had intercepted 135 Vector drones up to that point.