The Russian Trailcam drone is a new kind of stealth spy

Ukrainian analyst Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov last week shared images of a curious new Russian device: an FPV drone carrying a camera and mounted on a bamboo frame. Flash, whose detailed technical knowledge has earned him more than 100,000 followers, has been able to highlight important new developments.

The road camera drone looks weird, but this put together combo can sit next to a track and secretly send video of every passing vehicle for weeks. Assembled from inexpensive commercial components, it’s the kind of efficient, stealthy spy that US forces have been dreaming of.

Prehistory of Earth Sensors: Igloo White

Unattended Ground Sensors, or UGS, date back to the 1960s, when the US was trying to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the main supply route for the Viet Cong. Seismic, magnetic and acoustic sensors from the 1960s, which were able to detect the movements of nearby vehicles, but the technology did not exist for a video device. Thousands of sensors, each the size of a fence post, were dropped under the Igloo White program by F-4 Phantoms, CH-3 helicopters and other aircraft.

The sensors were either hung from the canopy or embedded in the ground depending on the type. About 80% worked after landing and had a battery life of up to several weeks. The sensors communicated with specially equipped aircraft circling overhead. Taking successive points as a vehicle passes a series of sensors.

The plane transferred data to a 20,000-square-foot data center in Thailand with state-of-the-art IBM 360/Model 65 computers, a type also used by NASA. Analysts determined the location, speed and direction of movement of the vehicles and called for airstrikes to hit them.

Strike planes arrived three to five minutes after contact. The pilot never saw the target; they just flew over the target area and the plane’s computer automatically dropped bombs on the point the target was calculated to have reached at the known speed.

“A major disadvantage of all the ground sensors was that none of them were able to see the target or transmit precise locations to the attack aircraft until the moment the weapon was launched,” according to a report. “To overcome this deficiency, a large number of bombs were dropped on any suspected coordinates.”

Igloo White cost a billion dollars a year and was presented as a triumph of technological warfare. Its actual effectiveness was limited. The program suffered a loss of credibility when the Air Force claimed to have destroyed more trucks than the North Vietnamese possessed. And supplies, including artillery and tanks, were still arriving in the Viet Cong.

Even with a large amount of support, the available sensors were simply not able to provide the necessary information. Modern military sensors are far more advanced, and now the commercial world is catching up if not surpassing them.

The Trailcam Revolution

Modern street cameras began to appear in the 1980s with the advent of motion sensors that could jam a camera. These were film cameras, but they gave hunters and researchers a tool to see exactly what animals were using a trail and when. They were soon followed by infrared versions for nighttime sensing. These provided an unprecedented ability to see what wildlife was using a particular area.

Digital cameras were transformative for cameras, storing thousands of images as well as video clips. Soon they were equipped with WiFi, and by 2007, the cameras could send data over the cellular network. Costs fell rapidly; for under $200 you can now get a camera that will take photos and videos, day and night, and send them right to you. They are great devices for finding out what wildlife is chasing around your yard.

And just as a cheap camera drone that can be seen over the hill or around the corner becomes a useful military tool, so does a cell phone-enabled camera.

Cellphone modems have appeared on Russian drones before, notably some of the recent Shaheds that use Ukrainian SIMS. They are likely to be used to send location data so operators know which drones are passing and which approaches are protected; in some cases they can also send images of targets.

Serhii Flash notes that on the trailcam drone, the antenna was not connected so the unit may not have worked. He also says that the structure of bamboo is strange; it may have been intended to capture trees that the camera can look down on, or it may be a stand so that the camera can see over grass or other vegetation. Manually positioned trail cameras are often tied to tree trunks or fence posts for elevation.

While the sensors of the 1960s required relay aircraft and a data center, the drone-delivered surveillance camera uses existing telephone infrastructure. It would be possible to jam all telephone signals in the combat zone, telephones are essential equipment for troops on both sides and this may be impractical. New technology, such as the Starlink satellite communications units used by both sides for drones and other systems, are rapidly becoming more affordable and likely to replace cellular connections if they are unavailable.

Instead of providing rough data like Igloo White, the street camera provides a view to accurately identify and locate the target. Game cameras are used to monitor vehicular traffic, so an unmodified camera would probably be effective off the shelf. They usually reach twenty meters, but some long-range models are claimed to reach sixty meters. Lenses tend to be wide-angle, so they may not capture much detail at this distance. The drone delivery system means that the operator can find a runway or road and position the sensor accordingly. With smart placement, a street camera can easily monitor all activity.

And while a drone’s battery only lasts a few hours even when idle, trail cameras are designed to last for weeks. Some have solar cells to run indefinitely. The model seen here does not seem to have them, but even a day of information on enemy movements would more than justify the low cost of the operation.

Trailcam Warfare

Trailcams can be used like the sensors on Igloo White, to reduce attacks on logistics vehicles by FPV drones. They can also be deployed to monitor the effects of drone-dropped mines, so any stationary vehicles can be destroyed and mined areas reset. They can monitor the pattern of activity in enemy positions and note numbers coming and going and when troop rotations occur.

Or it can be used defensively, placed in front of a position to detect the approach of enemy troops trying to break through.

Rear cameras can be easily spotted and removed – although the risk of toe traps can make this a challenge – but they can be quickly replaced.

As with other developments – drone-delivered caltrops and flame-throwing “dragon drones” that light up tree lines with thermals – the trailcam drone shows how the aerial mobility provided by drones can be combined with other technologies to produce results impressive.

If Ukraine isn’t already using similar or more advanced versions of the same technology, they soon will.