Methodology for training police officers in shooting at aerial targets

Abstract

The article examines the problem of developing applied readiness among police officers to engage small-sized, highly maneuverable aerial targets, an issue actualized by the widespread proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles and the mismatch between traditional fire training and new tactical conditions. It is argued that shooting at drones requires not the reproduction of standard aiming techniques but probabilistic forecasting of the intercept point, advanced anticipation mechanisms, specific neuromotor coordination during target tracking in the upper hemisphere, and resilience to stressful cognitive overload in urban environments. The results are presented of a six-month experimental testing of the methodology in professional training centers across three federal districts, involving 482 personnel from various units distributed by baseline fire training level into control and experimental groups. Automated systems with drone targets and hit sensors, chronometry, pedagogical observation, video analysis of aiming stance and tracking biomechanics, and telemetry of physiological responses (heart rate, galvanic skin response) were employed, followed by statistical verification of differences. It is shown that baseline effectiveness against a 30×30 cm aerial target at 20 m using standard techniques does not exceed 12.4%, with detection-to-first-shot time of 2.8–4.2 s; exercises in peripheral vision and rapid identification reduce this to 1.6–1.9 s. A sharp decline in accuracy at elevation angles of 45–60° (by 68.3%), due to biomechanical constraints and tremor, was established; non-standard stances and supports reduce losses to 24.1%. The tracking with clearance technique improves hit rates at complex bearing angles from 5.6% to 41.2%, while shifting to rapid fire and double shots reduces ammunition expenditure per hit from 18.4 to 7.2. Psychophysiological data indicate reduced stress response (HR 145–160 to 125–130 bpm) following ideomotor and respiratory regulation, linked to sustained visual control and aiming performance. The effects of wind and glare, mitigated by tactical positioning and equipment, are addressed separately, underscoring the need for comprehensive training updates and development of specialized anti-drone courses, with potential expansion via virtual and augmented reality simulation.