Ukraine’s tech attempt to Tackle Russian’suicide’ drone Threat. Last month, hundreds of engineers and innovators convened senior military officials in a basement in downtown Kyiv to debate how to neutralize better the cheap Russian suicide drones that still damage Ukrainian communities.
It was a rare, close-up look at Ukraine’s technology arms race with Russia. It leans on private sector innovation funded with state venture funding and produces thousands of military drones in a burgeoning wartime economy.
“The war today is technological, with changes in technology and on the battlefield happening every day,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and minister for digital reforms.
On the occasion, high-ranking army officials and ministers mixed with engineers and eccentric hobbyists. Only Reuters was invited. One man in shorts and a baseball cap carried a huge drone.
Three teams of scientists were awarded $3 million for their drones or electronic warfare equipment against Russia’s “Shahed” Iranian drones, which cruise in swarms to their targets and detonate on impact.
Official data shows that Russia assaulted Ukraine with 300 drones in May, a difficulty for winter energy preparations. Russia bombed the electricity grid last winter.
“We want to prepare for the… next winter to respond to these challenges,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov stated.
Iranian drones fly low enough to bypass air defenses, and their navigation systems are strong enough to resist radio frequency-disrupting anti-drone weaponry.
Officials say striking down swarms of $50,000 drones with $1 million missiles is undesirable.
“That’s not profitable, so we need to constantly cut the cost of the tools we use to destroy Shaheds,” Fedorov added.
“We’re discussing acoustic and other drone detection and destruction.”
For security, event organizers urged Reuters not to reveal participants’ surnames.
Oleksandr said his team was showing a “quadrocopter” with wings. He claimed it flew quicker and longer than conventional drones.
“It’ll be a drone that will… take off vertically to intercept or catch up with drones, shoot them down or jam them,” he claimed.
Yuriy, an engineer and deputy head of a Ukrainian company, said his team provided plans for better anti-drone electronic warfare devices to combat Shaheds.
Comment Template