Prytula Foundation launches SkyLock training program for Ukrainian forces
Instructors trained in SkyLock systems will train military personnel in their units to use them (Photo: Serhiy Prytula Foundation)
The Serhiy Prytula Foundation, in cooperation with Ukraine's General Staff and equipment manufacturers, has launched a program to train instructors to operate SkyLock systems, which help mobile fire teams detect and engage aerial targets faster on July 28.
The first service members from various units of Ukraine's Defense Forces have completed training at one of the Armed Forces' training centers, the foundation's press service told NV.
The foundation said SkyLock is a hardware and software system designed to upgrade anti-aircraft artillery used by mobile fire groups. It receives data from radar systems, helps operators detect aerial targets more quickly and uses a ballistic calculator to determine the aiming point with the necessary lead.
"Even the best system cannot operate effectively without properly trained personnel. That is why we launched this program and brought together manufacturers, instructors and the General Staff to make the training systematic and eventually scale it up," said Anton Pyzhykov, head of procurement at the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation.
The foundation said manufacturers provided SkyLock systems, sights and other necessary components for the training free of charge. Instructors with combat experience using the systems conduct the training. The Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation provided the training program with the necessary equipment, including tablets, interactive displays and a Starlink satellite communications system.
"Even with night-vision equipment, it is very difficult to locate a target across a large sector of the night sky. But when SkyLock works with a radar system, it provides the necessary information about the target. We save a significant amount of time searching for it, and the system helps us see the aiming point while accounting for the necessary lead. This significantly increases our chances of hitting the target," said a service member with the call sign Viktor, who already uses the system in combat.
He added that SkyLock also helps conserve ammunition. Without the system, a crew could expend a significant amount of ammunition without hitting the target.
The Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation said it has supported the deployment of SkyLock since 2025 and has provided 90 systems now used by 18 Defense Forces units. The state has also begun supplying the military with the systems.
The first SkyLock training sessions marked the start of a systematic program to train instructors who will teach service members in their respective units, the foundation said.
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