Last week, the Brave1 technocluster tested a dozen Ukrainian fiber-optic drones. A significant part of the presented drones can hit targets at a distance of up to 40 km. A journalist from Oboronka was present at the tests.
Three months ago, Brave1 conducted tests of fiber-optic drones with a range of up to 20 km. Now, Ukrainian developers are testing the possibility of doubling this distance.
Creating drones to hit targets at a distance of 30-40 km to increase the enemy's area of impact is one of Brave1's priority tasks. At such distances, the enemy operates much more openly and does not expect a strike, compared to front-line roads.
The strength of fiber optics is its invulnerability to electronic warfare and the ability to hit targets that require flying through several rooms or a network of trenches. A radio-controlled drone during such a mission would simply lose contact due to the limited radio horizon or terrain distortion.
Creating drones on fiber optics with a range of more than 40 km is a difficult task. As a representative of the Brave1 technocluster noted in a comment to Defense, not all drones are currently adapted for flights with large spools of fiber optics. In addition, due to the increase in the weight of the spool, the weight of the payload is significantly reduced. Another problem is the selection of a suitable media converter that can correctly transmit the signal over long distances.
During the tests, Brave1 specialists paid attention to the tactics of using drones. Experience with fiber optics showed that it is important to calculate the route to the target in detail so that the fiber does not run across roads or sharp corners that could break it.
The tests featured a modification of the twin-engine Darts kamikaze drone with a fiber optic range of 50 km. To create this drone, the manufacturer "Steel Hornets" enlisted the support of another company responsible for fiber optic systems.
VeeTA fiber-optic drones also flew. In addition to the UAV with a range of over 35 km, the company presented a smaller version - a drone on a 10-inch frame with a 20 km coil.
The Mechanic Lab team presented a machine for winding optical fiber of its own design, which is capable of winding 20 km of fiber per hour. According to a company representative, they are able to produce 5 such machines per day. Among the main customers are military units and drone workshops in the rear.
Mechanic Lab noted that one of the problems with fiber-optic drones is the twisting of the fiber during flight. Often, the wire does not come out of the coil in a straight line and falls to the ground, but twists, forming a kind of "spring", which negatively affects the aerodynamic properties of the drone. In addition, when twisting in a loop, the light inside the fiber has to overcome a greater distance, which can lead to loss of signal and the drone itself.
To avoid such problems, the developers of the machine suggest lubricating the fiber optic with a special lubricant while winding it. This allows it to hold firmly in the coil, smoothly exit it, and lie flat on the ground.
Brave1 notes the noticeable dependence of Ukrainian manufacturers on Chinese fiber optics, but notes that Ukraine is moving towards the gradual localization of individual components for such drones.
In May, the Brave1 cluster conducted tests of strike drones that can hit targets at a distance of up to 30-40 km. At that time, a single-engine version of the Darts drone was demonstrated, as well as other drones, including the Hunter Killer, R2D2, and Siromakha.
The main idea of the event was to create a mass drone that could easily reach a target at a distance of up to 40 km, which would allow for the effective destruction of enemy warehouses, equipment, air defense systems, and to keep Russian supply routes under tension. More details about this can be found in another article by Defense.