MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. Russian specialists have developed the Darwin-D protective capture net, designed to shield highways, roads, and other transportation infrastructure facilities from attacks by FPV drones and fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the manufacturer, Mechanical Protection Systems, told TASS.

"The Russian company Mechanical Protection Systems has introduced the Darwin-D protective and intercepting net, developed specifically for highways, roads, and other long stretches of transportation infrastructure. This new solution was developed following an initiative by the Russian Ministry of Transport to authorize the use of road fund resources to finance the installation and repair of protective structures on roads," the company stated.

The new product is a modification of the Darwin protective capture net. It is designed to shield highways, major roads, and transportation arteries at least 12 meters wide from attacks by FPV drones and fixed-wing UAVs. "Unlike conventional rigid barriers, the polyamide net expands upon collision with a drone, absorbing its kinetic energy. Thanks to this ‘soft’ deceleration, the drone becomes caught in the netting or veers off course, and the likelihood of its warhead detonating upon contact with the barrier is reduced," the company added.

CEO of Mechanical Protection Systems Dmitry Dorofeyev noted that to effectively protect highways from UAV attacks, "it’s not enough to simply take an existing anti-drone net and lay it out over several kilometers." "The economics and operational requirements here are completely different: it is necessary to quickly cover large areas, minimize the load on the supports, be able to promptly repair damaged sections, and avoid blocking traffic for long periods. That is why we have developed a dedicated version specifically for roads," he said.

According to the developer, one of the key features of the Darwin-D net is the size of the net panel. "It is 38 meters wide, and a single transport set contains 6,000 square meters of netting. The weight per square meter is 83 grams. Thanks to its low weight, the netting can be installed on quickly erected supports, which is especially important when it is necessary to protect tens of kilometers of roads. The system also allows for localized repairs. If a section is damaged, it can be cut out and patched with a piece of spare mesh, securing it with polyamide cord or special ties. This allows the protective barrier to be restored without having to fully replace the mesh along a large stretch of the road," the company added.