Ukrainian manufacturers meet a maximum of 20% of the army’s need for UAVs. Collecting UAVs is strongly hindered by the Russians, who also supply aircraft to their army.
Hundreds of deadly and inexpensive kamikaze drones are assembled in Ukraine, but not enough of them to break the Russians. Forbes revealed what is preventing the Ukrainians from launching into full-scale mass production.
FPV aircraft in Ukraine: advantages and disadvantages
First-person controlled drones (FPV) armed with explosives or grenades have become a very popular weapon on the frontline because they are inexpensive to manufacture and effective in use: they are silent, inconspicuous, resistant to electronic warfare, and can even hit vehicles. to move. Their cost ranges from $200 to $1000 depending on the configuration and features, but at the same time, such drones are quite difficult to control due to the lack of GPS navigation and autopilot, so operators need to be trained longer.
Drones may be cheap, but you need a lot of them, which comes at significant costs. For example, the platform United24 collected 58.5 million hryvnia thanks to the sale of souvenir salt packages from the Artyomsol plant – the money was enough for 2,200 kamikaze aircraft, which were transferred to the special unit of the Kryla Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Defense.
According to Maxim Sheremet, head of the Dronarnya volunteer organization and DroneSpace company, such FPV drones are now “made in every basement in Kiev.” Despite this, according to the calculations of Aerorazvedka NGO board member Oleksandr Kvyatkovsky, manufacturers meet only 20% of the total needs of the Ukrainian armed forces. There are about a hundred enterprises that make fighter jets in the country, but only a dozen of them have gone into mass production.
Who makes FPV drones in Ukraine?
One of the largest manufacturers of FPV drones in Ukraine is the enterprise Khvilya’91, which has set up a factory in Odessa. It produces 200 Hummingbird aircraft costing around $200 per month and then transfers them to the Armed Forces for free. In April, engineers plan to increase production fivefold.
Another big player is DroneSpace. Typically, FPV drones perform the function of “kamikaze”, which explode at the moment of collision with the target and are therefore quickly consumed in the front. Maxim Sheremet’s team built a $750 Banderik-K reusable bomber that only drops ammo and returns to operators after reloading to return to a combat mission. According to the developer, this approach is mandatory, as the lack of components makes it difficult for the manufacturer to make hundreds of “kamikazes”.
In February, the Council of Ministers canceled the duties and taxes on the import of UAVs from abroad, but they still have to be paid when transporting parts. Another problem is the long delivery and competition with the Russians, who also make FPV drones for their armies.
As Maxim Sheremet assures, key components such as boards, engine speed controllers, radio transmitters, flight controllers can also be made in Ukraine. Now Dronarnya is seeking investment of $1.5 million to open its facility that will help reduce the deficit.
Forbes recently calculated that drones have become the cheapest way to destroy Russian equipment and manpower. The defeat of one enemy soldier costs the Armed Forces of Ukraine an average of $ 660.
They also wrote whether the Armed Forces of Ukraine could get 100,000 FPV drones to attack the Russians. Within the scope of the Army of Drones project, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Digital Development, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the UNITED24 initiative signed a UAH 4 billion UAH supply contract.
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.