Skylab-ua company is trying to monetize production, but this requires a contract with the state. By the way, their UAVs are already used by counterintelligence.
The Kharkov company Skylab-ua developed a combat aircraft for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but could not sell it to the Ministry of Defense. Engineer Evgeniy Rvachov explained the reasons for this to dev.ua.
Skylab-ua collected unmanned aerial vehicles that even before the start of the war scanned the area, checked the operation of solar panels and advertised goods, but in February 2022 received technologies for the army. In early March, the developers tested new models in military training areas, hoping to supply them to the Drone Army, which was put together by the Ministry of Digital Development and the UNITED24 project.
“We tried to paint the drone in different colors. It turned out not to matter – it’s just a dark spot in the sky. Today we hand the drone over to counterintelligence to perform combat missions,” said Yevgeny Rvachov.
The company focused on developing shock drones, and the Shulika MK-6 multirotor became the base model. It was designed to throw ammunition at the Russians, selected in consultation with the army: 82 mm mines, cumulative grenades (RKG), air bombs against equipment. Here they make their own reset systems with the help of 3D printers.
The UAV carries a payload of up to 7 kg, rises to a height of 500 m, flies 5 km in one direction. The developers have upgraded commercial control panels that provide the Korshun MK-6 with a wide range of frequencies and digital encrypted communication channel.
“We developed the model with our own hands. Such a drone has been operating in one of the regions since August 2022 and there have been no complaints,” said Evgeny Rvachov.
According to him, Skylab-ua equips its drones with optical and thermal imaging cameras to work at any time of the day. Industrial batteries that can withstand temperatures from -20 to +50 degrees are responsible for the power supply – they are assembled from special parts from China. Batteries are connected to reliable connectors protected from moisture. The team has also mastered technology that changes frequencies to protect against “scramblers” – the operator has to do this manually, but engineers are trying to automate the process.
“Theoretically, thanks to this technology, he will be able to fly to the Crimea,” said Yevgeny.
The cost of a UAV is estimated by Yevgeny Rvachov at $20,000, of which about $11,000 goes to parts, the rest to building rent and employee salaries. However, it is very difficult to make money from production without a government contract. You can work directly with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or with volunteers as a private entrepreneur, but it is much easier to produce equipment in groups of more than 10 units by order of the Ministry of Defense. In this case, the team can distribute the payload and figure out how many new drones the military will need to make up for the losses.
“If that is not the case, it is very difficult to develop. We have hired a separate attorney for the Drone Army and are collecting all the necessary documents to participate in the project,” said the engineer.
He acknowledged that the company does not have a license to produce military technology, so it offers its products as industrial UAVs capable of carrying a payload. The role of the latter is performed by ammunition. Now Skylab-ua is trying to certify three drone models for sale to charities in batches of 10, but this needs to pass tests.
We recently wrote about a factory in Odessa that produces up to 500 drones per month. The military is putting together attack and reconnaissance drones worth $50 or more with the help of volunteers.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.