FPV drones in Russo-Ukrainian War
Drones are modern and effective combat equipment. They help Ukrainian soldiers at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. Thanks to drones, the military can destroy enemies in the air, on land and at sea. According to OSINT analysts, the drones, which cost $15,500 each, destroyed $65,000,000 worth of Russian equipment in one month. That's right, sixty-five million dollars.
We're going to tell you what FPV drones are and how they are used in the fight against the occupiers.
Types of FPV drones
FPV drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that have a built-in camera and video transmitter that broadcasts real-time images to a control panel monitor, smartphone, tablet, computer screen, or special pilot goggles. The name is an abbreviation of the English words First Person View (FPV), i.e., first-person view.
Drones may differ in characteristics: range, payload weight, top speed, etc. But in general, combat UAVs are divided into two types: airplane and helicopter (copter). The former have wings that allow for long flights at higher altitudes, while the latter are equipped with propellers, which makes the drone smaller and allows it to be lifted into the air without using a runway or additional takeoff equipment.
Combat UAVs are divided into three types by application:
- reconnaissance;
- attack drones;
- combined.
With reconnaissance drones, the military can obtain information about enemies or the terrain they occupy, monitor the battlefield, coordinate infantry and equipment, and work in conjunction with attack drones. Often, video recordings of drone operations are cut off before the explosion due to signal loss. That's why the military uses an additional drone to relay the signal and record the target's defeat.
UAVs armed with munitions are called attack drones. They can be equipped with a mechanism that allows the drone to drop munitions. However, there are also disposable UAV models with an attached explosive device that are effective against infantry and vehicles. The military attaches any munition to the drone that can be lifted by the quadcopter (depending on its technical characteristics).
Combined drones combine the capabilities of reconnaissance and attack UAVs. So that they can conduct surveillance and attack a target, if needed.
What does a quadcopter consist of?
The simplest but most effective UAV requires the following spare parts:
- Frame.
- Motor.
- Stack (flight controller and speed controller).
- VTX video transmitter.
- Video antenna.
- Camera.
- RX radio receiver.
- Propellers.
- Battery mounts (straps)..
- Battery.
As of May 2024, the cost of these spare parts is about 16,000 UAH ($400). These are the components used to assemble low-cost FPV drones that are commonly used at the frontline.
Ukrainian drone manufacturers
Ukraine started developing UAVs before the war with Russia began in 2014.
Spaitech has been producing its own systems since 2012. In 2015, at the request of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the company began developing aircraft-type drones for the Special Operations Forces (SOF). The very first Sparrow model was intended for reconnaissance. Later, Spaitech developed additional software that also allows for fire control.
DeViRo has been designing, developing and manufacturing UAVs since 2014. Their Saikonia UAV can stay in the air for up to four hours. This model has a range of up to 200 km and a control radius of 50 km. Another development of DeViRo is the Leleka-100 drone, which is designed for aerial reconnaissance and determining the exact geographical coordinates of objects.
Ukrspecsystems manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles and military electronics. They started their work at the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014. They developed the Shark unmanned aerial vehicle system after the full-scale invasion of Russia. This model has a wingspan of 3.4 m. The drone is equipped with a camera with a thirty-fold optical zoom and an additional digital zoom, so it can observe objects at a distance of up to 5 km from the UAV. Shark can stay in the air for up to four hours and reach speeds of up to 150 km/h.
UA Dynamics started developing the Punisher reusable attack drone for reconnaissance and destruction of the enemy in 2016. But at the time, their work was classified. With the outbreak of a full-scale war, the company's activities became public. The Punisher strike and reconnaissance drone is powered by an electric motor. Its wingspan is 2.25 m. The drone contains a container with a high-explosive charge, which is used in a targeted manner after thorough reconnaissance. The Punisher weighs 7.5 kg with a full ammunition package. The system can stay in the air for up to three hours and perform combat missions within a radius of about 45 km.
Black Raven — is a non-profit organisation of volunteers that was founded to develop Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and modern military technologies. The team manufactures kamikaze drones, creates reconnaissance and strike equipment, and trains UAV operators. Their eBOSH 7 FPV drone can fly at a speed of 180 km/h. These quadcopters are designed to destroy enemies indoors or in lightly armoured vehicles.
Over the years, Ukraine's drone industry has progressed: thermal imaging drones and homing UAVs are already being used on the battlefield; there are also aircraft carriers that can carry other drones. However, technology is still evolving. Charitable foundations and volunteers, businesses, and the government support this industry. As part of the Hello, Drones project, our foundation is also raising funds for UAVs for the Ukrainian military. Please support our fundraising so that there are more and more drones and fewer occupiers!
