Modernized Leleka-100 unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance have already entered service with the artillerymen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It has become more stable in flight against strong winds and resistant to enemy electronic warfare, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne Media reports.
The details of the newest improvements to the system were told to the journalists by its daily users — the servicemen of the 44th Artillery Brigade named after Hetman Danylo Apostol. They say the latest version of this UAV is adept at penetrating enemy lines as far as 40 km beyond the line of contact for intelligence gathering.
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In a gale of 19 m/s, the drone can stay aloft for an hour and a half, says artilleryman Andrii. In normal conditions, it can fly for 2 to 2.5 hours, according to DeViro, the manufacturer. Wind is not the only environmental challenge: overheating is a common problem that makes batteries run out faster. Though this is not unique to Leleka, of course, since any aircraft has to bear with weather-imposed limitations. The operational range of the Leleka-100 system, as declared by DeViro, is 50 km.
The UAV operators, meanwhile, sit in a secure location about 10 km away from the frontline — which is still considered close and falls within the range of most russian extended-range artillery weapons and attack drones. To make sure they don't lose the UAV to enemy countermeasures, the pilots check the sky for any enemy airborne systems before launching the Leleka. If they see russian drones, they have to wait.
And yet, there were losses of drones due to enemy interceptions, including shutdowns by enemy anti-aircraft drones. In order to avoid them, the artillerymen say, their Leleka has to climb higher and flee if a threat appears.
The results of this drone's work are the impeded enemy advances and uncovered positions, relayed to the fire units for destruction. Leleka both detects russian hideouts and adjusts the fire in real time. The Leleka crew works around the clock and remains on duty until their replacement arrives with the next rotation.
Developed and manufactured by DeViro, part of the NAUDI defense industry association, Leleka-100 passed state acceptance tests in 2020 and was adopted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces a year later. Technically, it's one of the older systems in Ukraine's service, but constantly adapting to the current battlefield landscape and remaining relevant despite how significantly the UAV application, tactics, and technologies have changed over these years.
DeViRo keeps updating and creating new systems off the Leleka-100, one being the Leleka LR (Long Range) reconnaissance drone — larger in size and with higher operating range and altitude ceiling to match; it's already being mass-produced. Another example is one of the historically first domestic Ukrainian loitering munitions, the RAM II kamikaze UAV, based on the Leleka hull.
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