Depth of attack – 40 km. Ukraine is testing dozens of new attack drones to destroy enemy logistics

Recently, the Brave1 state cluster conducted tests to improve the technology of kamikaze aircraft and find the most effective models among them.

The main task is to increase the kill zone (enemy hit zone) to 30-40 km, which is extremely rare for conventional FPV drones. According to the conditions, kamikaze aircraft must be mass-produced, that is, simple and cheap enough, resistant to interference and operate on digital communication.

The idea is not to build a large, technological, and expensive drone, but to make something relatively cheap and mass-produced that will perform its task while remaining simple and intuitive to use and can be supplied to the front by the thousands.

The creation of a mass drone that can easily fly up to 40 km will allow for effective disruption of logistics, i.e. destroying enemy warehouses, equipment, air defense systems, and keeping Russian supply routes under tension.

It should be noted that this is not about finding an analogue of the Russian "Lancet". There are such analogues in Ukraine, for example, RAM-X or "Bulava". But these are much more expensive high-tech models that are used for special, most priority and confirmed purposes. Here we will talk about truly mass solutions, relatively speaking for every day and in every unit.

A journalist from Oboronka visited these tests. The material will mention only some products of Ukrainian companies. For security reasons, we will keep the most critical and technological samples secret.

The DARTS drone from Steel Hornets has long proven itself in the Defense Forces. The cost of the basic single-engine model is only $ 1,000. It is capable of flying at a distance of up to 50 km, carrying a 3.6 kg warhead and flying at a speed of 160 km per hour. It is purchased by both state customers and charitable foundations, and thousands are supplied to the front per month.

Now the company has already shown a twin-engine aircraft that is capable of carrying up to 8kg of explosives and can also be used to perform reconnaissance missions.

The company "KORT" showed two of its drones "Hunter Killer 3" and " Hunter Killer 10". They have a stable video connection and a target acquisition system.

The first has an electric engine. It is capable of carrying up to 3 kg of explosives over a distance of up to 80 km and costs about 5 thousand dollars. The second has an internal combustion engine. This aircraft carries up to 10 kg over a distance of up to 100 km and costs 30 thousand dollars.

Both boards are currently being launched into series production and undergoing codification.

Another drone is R2D2. It flies up to 100 km with a warhead of up to 6 kg. The maximum speed is 130 km per hour. According to the developer, the aircraft was designed from the most affordable materials and so that people with a small level of professional skills could assemble it.

The aircraft can be transported by any vehicle, and the deployment time, with preliminary preparation, is about 90 seconds. The drone is also equipped with an automatic targeting system. The average configuration costs about $2,500, but these aircraft can be customized according to the needs of the military.

Among the participants of the event is also presented the drone "Siromakha", which works on the principle of deepstrike, that is, it flies thanks to the inertial navigation system, is guided to the target by GPS without the participation of the operator in real time. The GPS connection is protected by a Ukrainian-made CRPA antenna, which actually allows you to "filter out" the signal from the electronic warfare system and focus on the satellite signal.

The drone has an electric motor, which makes less noise and leaves a smaller thermal footprint than an internal combustion engine. Deployment time on the battlefield is 15 minutes. It is capable of carrying up to 8kg of explosives and flying for a distance of about 150 km, and even further with a tailwind. The developers consider the drone not only as a kamikaze, but also as a "bomber" and a platform for carrying various useful equipment.

One such aircraft costs about $15,000. They are currently being supplied to the front in relatively small quantities.

Also at the tests were presented components for these Ukrainian-made drones: motors, boards, communications, and cheap housings, which, according to the manufacturing company, can be produced in the hundreds per day.