The Curse Of Latency

Any digital communications link will have some latency or time lag. This is most obvious in voice over internet or video conferencing where there may be a noticeable lag when replying. But even when it is not obvious, some latency is always there.

This presented major challenges for long-range drone operations. The USAF MQ-9 Reaper is generally operated remotely, and while the aircraft were in Iraq or Afghanistan, the pilots were based at Creech Air Force base in Nevada. The communications link, which runs via satellite and land lines, introduces a significant delay.

“One of the most critical factors is the inherent delay in responsiveness; there is typically a two-second lag between a pilot’s input and the aircraft’s reaction,” Christine Sixta Rinehart writes in a recent paper on the psychological challenge of drone operation. “This delay can significantly impact mission performance…The same latency also applies to weapons deployment, increasing the risk of collateral damage if not carefully accounted for.”

Other accounts put the latency for the Reaper at somewhere between 1 and 2 seconds (this may have improved in recent years). The delay creates challenges for piloting, and more for targeting. Static targets are relatively simple, but an automated lock-on tracker is essential for hitting moving targets otherwise the shooter would always be a second behind them.

Latency is a far bigger problem when flying fast FPVs at low altitude, dodging obstacles and maneuvering after difficult targets like motorcycles. During Operation Spiderweb, the targets were stationary aircraft parked on the tarmac, but the operators had significant latency and relied heavily on AI software. Apparently, the machine vision system was trained on Soviet aircraft at Kyiv’s Aviation Museum.

Israeli company XTEND, whose systems are widely used by the IDF, have demonstrated how their FPVs can be flown from another continent even with significant latency. This is also achieved with AI. The operator just tells the drone where to go and it flies itself, plotting its own route even through doors and windows regardless of the delay.

Without this kind of AI assistance, remotely flying FPVs is extremely challenging.

FPV drone racers need the lowest possible latency, and work hard to reduce the delay caused by cameras, communications, goggles and controllers. Latency below 50-milliseconds is preferred. Above that it may become noticeable, and at over 100 ms and the operator has to “fly ahead” and anticipate sharp turns before they arrive. When latency is above 200ms, the sort of delay caused by a 4G connection, reportedly FPV racing, aerobatics and freestyling are impractical. Hitting moving targets would be similarly difficult.

Remote Operators

“Sheriff”, the drone commander who talked to Röpcke, insists the latency issue has been solved.

“There is practically no delay. We see the image without any delay,” Sheriff says at one point. “The system is designed precisely for this purpose. The pilot sees everything in real time.”

At another point:

“We’re developing this system specially to eliminate delay , since precision in target engagement is critical.” Sheriff says.

Understandably no details of the system are given and the exact latency is not divulged. Even its name is not mentioned. However, the Wild Hornets group has recently publicized several successes by their Ctrl Vision system which allows interceptor operators to work remotely – in one case downing a Shahed while located 2,000 km away.

Satellite communications are generally slow. Geostationary satellites have a latency of 1000 ms or more; Iridium is more like about 400 ms. Starlink much quicker. PC Magazine reported that, in their tests, Starlink terminals delivered a latency of less than 40 ms. Outside the US users report slightly higher figures. In Eastern Europe – Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia the figure is 60-70 ms.

Starlink is widely used in Ukraine and terminals have been seen on a wide variety of Ukrainian drones, drone long-range types right down to FPVs. Sheriff notes that his unit uses fiber-controlled FPVs, so Starlink may provide the connection between the drone launch point and the remote operator. The use of fiber makes the launch point virtually impossible to detect.

The report might be treated as propaganda and should be treated with caution. However, it looks very much like cheap commercial technology has overtaken what the U.S. military could do with all its resources just a few years ago.

Global Drone War

The first thing to note is that Sheriff’s team now operates from relative safety. He mentions that previously he had worked within a kilometer of the front line. He also shows video of the unit’s previous base, now destroyed by Russian attacks. Remote operation gives the crews a safe and comfortable working environment free from distractions like Russian artillery raining down outside.

The second point is that this setup enables deep strikes with FPVs. Drones carrying FPVs on the rise. Recently a Ukrainian Fire Point FP-1 strike drone was seen outfitted as a mothership with two FPVs. With remote control, numbers of FPVs can be transported and operated anywhere. The same system likely also allows operators to visually guide the FP-1 to a target.

The third point is that elite drone operators can now effectively teleport from one part of the battlespace to another. They are not confined to one area. An operator can destroy a Russian tank in Kherson in the South, five minutes later take part in an attack on an oil refinery in St Petersburg, then switch to support an offensive in Luhansk in the North.

Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, notes that his 414th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, with many of the most experienced operators, destroy an average of 30.4 targets per month per team. The average across all crews in Ukraine is 3.14. Remote operation means the best pilots can be deployed anywhere instantly to take on the toughest targets.

Fourthly, remote operation means anyone anywhere can join in. Physical fitness is no longer a requirement, and the sorts of disability or just unfitness that might prevent someone from being allowed in a battle zone are no disqualification. Pete Hegseth may not be happy, but we may see wheelchair-using FPV aces and asthmatic teens with high kill scores.

There are wilder possibilities. As commenter Oskar put it in X: “This means it's technically possible to let people anywhere in the world control an FPV drone in exchange for 1000-2000$ and let them slaughter some Russians with it. Ukraine could definitely set this up and there would be a ****ton of people willing to pay for that.”

This type of outsourcing is not impossible. Ukraine has already successfully gamified drone warfare with the ePoints system awarding successful pilots with points which can be traded for more drones. Allowing outsiders in, especially if they are highly competent, might be an easy way of recruiting skilled operators from a global pool.

Meanwhile, as previously, reported Russia is working on an equivalent capability for its own FPV operators--though without the benefit of Starlink.

Electronic Warfare against drone communications is already a hot area, and more remote operators will intensify this. At the same time, growing AI capability may reduce the need for human input. For the present, expect to see more ground robots delivering and launching drones while FPV operators work from home.