The Armed Forces of Ukraine have commenced testing a state-of-the-art domestically engineered UAV called SpyGun on the frontline.
According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, this drone is designed for reconnaissance missions and boasts a flight duration of 120-160 minutes. It can reach altitudes of 1.5 kilometers, but its optimal operational altitude is 500-600 meters. Even under conditions of intense enemy electronic warfare measures, it remains operational at distances of up to 50 kilometers.
Read more: Ukrainian Defenders Shot Down 34 Lancet Drones Within a Week
Additionally, it’s noted that the drone is equipped with just two cameras: a navigational camera for real-time transmission and a GoPro camera for internal memory recording.
This drone doesn’t stand out due to advanced optical systems, prolonged airborne capabilities or the ability to conduct extended operations. It also lacks the feature of carrying out strikes. However, its advantage lies in being, as stated by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, “relatively cost-effective and quick to manufacture, with a simple body design”.
The SpyGun UAV equipped with a GoPro implies the analysis of gathered information can only occur after the drone’s return, cannot replace more advanced UAVs. However, the point is that this is evidently an additional reconnaissance tool, the loss of which might not be deemed critical at all.
Lastly, the considerations of cost-effectiveness, short technological cycles and, along with them, the potential for mass production, constitute an entirely separate direction for the development of these systems. In this regard, even for such tasks, it is entirely feasible to create UAVs made of materials like cardboard, as demonstrated by the Australian Sypaq example.
Read more: Russia Risks Attacking Ukrainian Ports with UAVs Near NATO Territory, But It’s a Strategy
