Ukroboronprom tells about new drones for Ukrainian armed forces
Ukroboronprom is developing new drones for the Ukrainian army (Photo:Ukroboronprom)
Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, are already playing a prominent role in Russia’s war on Ukraine, and Ukraine is actively working to develop new systems for its army.
Innovative Ukrainian engineers have already produced a sea drone, or unmanned marine vehicle, which was used in a daring attack against the Russian Black Sea fleet in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Crimea.
Now Ukrainian defense concern Ukroboronprom has new Ukrainian drones in the works, and these might prove to be some of Ukraine’s most effective weapons, the Ukrainian defense company’s project manager Oleh Boldyrev said in an interview with Current Time TV on Dec. 10.
Boldyrev said the Ukrainian army soon will be equipped with new UAVs that will be able to strike deep behind enemy lines.
He said the development is almost completed and the UAV is undergoing testing. It has similar characteristics to the Iranian suicide drones Russia is using to attack Ukraine, but it also has some features that make it unique.
"It (the drone - ed.) already exists. I would call it ‘patient zero,’” Boldyrev said.
“The machine flies, and talking about a strike drone, we are talking about a kamikaze version. But we, Ukrainians are very greedy people. We will have a ‘kamikaze’ drone that will be able to return.”
He explained that the possibility of return means that drones can attack the enemy several times. The flight range of the new drone is 1,000 km (about 620 miles) and the combat payload totals to 75 kg (about 165 lbs).
Ukroboronprom says foreign components were used in the process of developing the UAV, but the software, the means of communication with ground stations, assembly and the maintenance of drones is all done by domestic specialists.
Ukroboronprom reported the finalizing of the development of the Ukrainian attack UAV and revealed some of its technical characteristics in a post on Facebook on Oct. 17.
The same day, the Come Back Alive volunteering foundation reported about a new joint project with the Defense Ministry with the name "Bangs in Moscow."
Later Ukroboronprom said it would be able to introduce the new attack UAV to the Ukrainian military by the end of the year.
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