The developers presented many models and talked about their features. Some UAVs are currently used in combat operations, while others are yet to be tested.
On April 5, at the FPV Demo Day event organized by the Dignitas charity foundation in Kiev, more than 20 companies presented their drones to the military. Channel 5 reporters showed promising local developments.
As the name suggests, the developers brought to the exhibition FPV drones controlled “from the first person” using only virtual reality glasses. One of the teams presented a winged drone with a span of 1.5 meters. It is armed with a warhead weighing up to 3 kg (a cumulative projectile can be seen in the video) and explodes with the target.
According to Alexander Lysenko, head of the UAV development department, the model was developed specifically for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, taking into account the needs of the army. The “bird of the hawk family” is launched using a mechanical catapult, accelerates to 200 km / h and can travel 30 km in a single flight. Now the drone is being tested at the training ground and they plan to use it on the frontline soon. The creators estimated the entire shock complex at 24 thousand euros, and one “kamikaze” cost 3.5 thousand euros.
Another team presented a hexacopter, which they propose to use not only for attacks, but also for reconnaissance. A large chamber or drop system can be mounted under the aircraft, holding up to three rounds of ammunition. The shock version is also based on a block with optical and thermal imaging cameras.
The “Volunteer drone” laboratory from Kiev presented the “Big Banderyk” unmanned aerial vehicle, which lifts 4 shells weighing 2 kg each and flies 8 km. In its arsenal is a smaller drone designed for reconnaissance at any time of the day. The latest development: an FPV quadcopter with reset system and night camera – it can work in both kamikaze and bombardment modes.
Maxim Sheremet, head of Dronarny, told Ukrainska Pravda an interesting example of using the Big Banderyk in combat conditions. A unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out a tactical mission by launching a UAV at a distance of 7 km. At one point, they noticed minor control issues, but were able to fire bullets at targets in the forest plantation and return them to base. After landing, the army found a bullet in the engine, which did not prevent Banderik from completing his mission.
The company “Sun of Ukraine” also showed unmanned aerial vehicles – these are quadcopters of the “kamikaze” type, capable of carrying cumulative, fragmentation and high-explosive ammunition. The flight range depends on the type of warhead, the maximum duration is 12 minutes. The company already mass-produces drones, the cost of one piece is only $ 440. The team also manufactures small orange quadcopters designed for operator training.
Previously, the founder of the DroneUA project, Valery Yakovenko, said that Ukraine is a first in the world in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles. According to him, there are more than a hundred UAV manufacturers in the country today and new developments appear every month.
Source: Focus
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