Ukraine switches to cheaper Chinese drones, saying US drones are too expensive and faulty
In the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, both militaries use drones for various purposes. The United States has provided Ukraine with high-spec American-made drones to support the country, but they have been known to be too expensive and have many problems, so the Ukrainian military is turning to cheaper Chinese-made drones, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Ukraine War: How American Drones Failed to Turn the Tide - WSJ
How American drones failed to turn the tide in Ukraine | Mint
https://www.livemint.com/technology/how-american-drones-failed-to-turn-the-tide-in-ukraine-11712726647939.html
In April 2022, Ukraine recommended that China's drone manufacturer DJI stop using its drones, citing numerous technical problems. Instead of DJI, Skydio , an American drone startup, provided Ukraine with high-spec drones.
Ukraine government recommends halting use of Chinese DJI drones, US manufacturers target vacant seats - GIGAZINE
However, Skydio's drones have proven to be largely useless in combat, flying off course and falling victim to Russian electronic jamming. 'The general consensus is that none of the American drones have performed as well as other systems in Ukraine. Our drones have not been a very successful platform on the front lines of the Ukrainian conflict,' said Skydio CEO Adam Bry, acknowledging that the company's drones have not been very successful in the Ukrainian conflict.
Skydio's drones are not alone in being deemed a failure in the Ukrainian conflict. American drones have generally failed to make a meaningful presence in the conflict, with drone company executives, Ukrainians on the front lines of the conflict, Ukrainian government officials, and U.S. Department of Defense officials unanimously stating that American drones tend to be expensive, have many problems, and are difficult to repair.
According to Ukrainian officials, American drones are not only 'fragile' and 'unable to overcome Russian jamming and GPS jamming technologies,' but also sometimes fail to take off, or take off but never return. There are also many cases where the drones cannot fly the range stated in their specifications, or the load capacity is below the specifications.
Mykola Bieliskov, a senior analyst at Come Back Alive , a charity that has supplied more than 30,000 drones to the Ukrainian military, described the American drones as 'underdeveloped.'
Skydio drones are designed to comply with the communications standards set by the US military. This is the same for other US-made drones. However, it has been pointed out that this limits the quality and speed of drones that can be manufactured. In addition, US drone manufacturers have
Meanwhile, AeroVironment, a US drone manufacturer that also supplies drones to Ukraine, said, 'Russian jamming affects all drones, but our drones are being updated to deal with it,' emphasizing that the Russian jamming has been addressed.
Velos Rotors, an American-Greek startup, announced that it was test flying the ' Velos V3 ' outside Kyiv, Ukraine, in December 2023, but the attempt was unsuccessful. However, a Velos Rotors spokesperson noted that the Ukrainian military is operating the Velos V3 and that the company is ready to ship it immediately if it receives an order from the US government.
Georgi Dubinsky, deputy minister of digital transformation in Ukraine, who oversees the military's drone program, said the limitations of the American drones 'pose a big problem in drone warfare, where constant updates are required,' he said. 'We need to adapt quickly to new technologies. The cycle of innovation in this type of warfare is very short.'
Ukraine once withdrew from using drones made by DJI, a Chinese drone manufacturer, but it seems to be planning to return to using DJI drones. Ukraine has developed a domestic drone industry that relies on Chinese parts, and it also manufactures small, inexpensive drones for carrying explosives, as well as large drones that fly deep into Russian territory to attack Russian fleets. These circumstances may also be factors that encourage the use of Chinese drones.
In February 2024, the United States and the United Kingdom announced they would supply Ukraine with several thousand drones. Therefore, the Wall Street Journal points out that this report that the Ukrainian military is turning its attention to Chinese drones is bad news for the US Department of Defense.
The US and the UK plan to donate thousands of AI drones & Ukraine plans to manufacture 1 million FPV drones in its own country - GIGAZINE
Deputy Minister Dubinsky explained that the use of American drones will not be completely stopped, but will continue to be tested in the future. However, he also said, 'We are looking for cost-effective solutions,' implying that the use of expensive and problematic American drones will be reduced.
However, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has praised the footage shot by Skydio drones, saying it is 'helping to investigate suspected Russian war crimes, including attacks on civilians and nuclear facilities.' This does not mean that American drones are completely useless.
The United States has designated DJI a Chinese military company and claims that the company's drones function as surveillance tools for the Chinese government. As a result, the Department of Defense has banned the use of DJI drones by the U.S. military, and the FBI has issued a warning to private companies that use Chinese drones. In response, DJI claims that the U.S. government's proposed ban on DJI products is 'politically motivated.'
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