The drone costs up to $3,500 and, depending on the configuration, can scout, defeat the enemy and send signals.
A team of engineers from Kiev called Ukropter has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle of the same name, which is currently used by the Ukrainian military. Company representatives told dev.ua about the features of their aircraft.
Businessman Alexander Slobodyanik teamed up with microcontroller engineer Maxim Shvorak and UAV developer Dmitry Levchenko to work on Ukropter in January 2023. They were inspired by the Ukrainian special forces, who offered to make cheap and effective drones to perform certain tasks. Later, 3-4 more people joined them.
After some time, they received from the army the mandate for the creation of an unmanned bomber that could fly blindly at a distance of 5-6 km without navigation. They built a quadcopter based on the finished frame, did flight tests, and realized they needed a cheaper and lighter solution.
The team built different versions of the drones for three months, taking into account the wishes of the military, and finally decided on a homemade frame made of carbon pipes. The latest model of the UAV has three versions: reconnaissance with a 30x zoom camera, a bomber with a drop system designed for one or two ammunition, and a simpler camera, a signal repeater with a directional antenna.
Features
- flight time – about 1 hour and 20 minutes (no load);
- maximum speed – 80 km / h;
- cruising speed – 40 km / h;
- curb weight – 2 kg.
According to Maxim Shvorak, the creators want to install on Ukropter in the near future an advanced communication system that is more protected from enemy electronic warfare. It will be able to navigate in space without GPS, which will significantly increase the device’s survivability. The developers also made special software that determines how the helicopter will behave if communication is lost. For example, it can fly according to compass and barometer.
The program “Coward” will order the helicopter to return home as soon as possible, and the “aggressor” will fly into enemy territory and leave the “gift,” Alexander Slobodyanik said, “There are many options,” – “Ukropter is small and stubborn.”
Another feature of the Ukropter complex is the communication base station, which can work over Wi-Fi or cable. In this way, it will be difficult for the Russians to detect the operator sitting in the bunker. The company has other interesting solutions in its arsenal that cost tens of thousands of dollars, but engineers are trying to save money and keep the price of the UAV between $ 2000-3500 depending on the configuration, and the base station costs $ 500-600.
The designers have been receiving certification from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for more than two months and plan to receive a state contract. If ordered, they plan to start mass production and assemble 30 to 50 UAVs in the first month and then scale up if they can arrange the supply of Chinese parts.
Earlier, they wrote about the company Mria Dron, which supplies fighter jets to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The team produces four models in series: Hell Cat, “Aist”, “Aist 2” and “Bee”.
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.