Rostec to fortify Russian Oil Refinery with Anti-drone Systems to Avoid Saudi-like Attack

Rostec will fortify one of Russia’s biggest oil facilities, Slavneft-YANOS, with anti-drone systems to avert attacks similar to the one that hit Saudi oil refineries last September.

Avtomatika Concern, a subsidiary of Rostec, has signed a contract to supply the systems by the third quarter of 2020.

The systems can manually/automatically detect and suppress hostile drones at a distance of 30km away, even if they fly in Radio Silence mode- which is a deliberate cessation of communications, typically for the duration of some sensitive time period, Rostec said in a release Monday.

The company claims that the counter-drone system is capable of providing the location of drone operators.

Avtomatika produces Pishchal-PRO, Taran-PRO and Sapsan-Bekas anti-aircraft systems. In February 2020, the firm said it completed trials of Artificial Intelligence-enabled anti-drone system, the Rubezh-Avtomatika.

In mid-September 2019, incoming drones/missiles struck Saudi oil facilities that temporarily reduced 5% of global oil supply and sent its prices spiralling upwards. Saudi Aramco describes its Abqaiq oil processing facility in Buqyaq as “the largest crude oil stabilization plant in the world.” Estimates suggest it can process up to 7 million barrels of crude oil a day.