Drones have become an essential part of the war in Ukraine. They carry out surveillance, adjust artillery fire, conduct counter-battery fire, and allow to control large areas. These are the “eyes” of any combat unit, and they save thousands of lives of soldiers and civilians. In this article, we describe in detail the most popular commercial drones used at the frontline. This information will be of interest to everyone who helps the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is a war of technology. Crewless aerial vehicles are integrated into almost every stage of combat operations. They quickly transmit information that gives an advantage during a combat engagement or reconnaissance. Here are the main tasks performed by commercial drones:
In short, drones provide a particular advantage at the front.
The main advantages are compactness, mobility, affordability, and ease of use. One can learn to fly (operate) a drone professionally in a few weeks.
These UAVs have professional optics and are well-suited for short-range reconnaissance. They are “re-flashed” and equipped with additional batteries, thermal imagers, lenses, signal amplifiers, control panels, and spare parts for more efficient operation.
Limited flight range and short battery life (up to 40-50 minutes on average). They cannot effectively counteract electronic warfare (EW) and anti-drone weapons. At the front, a drone is a consumable. Its life is short.
In 95% of cases, our military uses Chinese DJI drones and American Autel drones. Next, we will look at the technical characteristics of some popular models of drones.
The technical characteristics of the DJI Matrice 300 allow it to perform basic combat missions. The drone is equipped with two cameras – a regular one and a TV camera – that can operate simultaneously. The cameras have a resolution of 20 megapixels and provide high-quality images in real-time. Its thermal imaging camera can detect hostile objects at night, especially in cold weather.
This is one of the most popular drones in the military. The DJI Mavic 3 has a 4/3-inch 20-megapixel camera that captures 5.2K video at up to 60 frames per second and photos at 5472×3648 pixels. The drone has a three-camera system with autofocus, which allows you to stabilize the image and zoom in without losing quality.
Autel EVO II 640T Dual has a flight range of up to 25 km and a flight speed of up to 72 km/h. Autonomous flight time of up to 40 minutes allows you to perform tasks over relatively long distances.
This UAV is equipped with InfiRay technology, which provides reliable and high-quality imagery with a 640×512 resolution thermal camera. It also has an 8K camera with 48 MP resolution, which allows you to take great photos and videos with great detail.
This is a very productive and high-tech quadcopter that has many valuable features and capabilities. The camera has a high resolution and optical image stabilization, which improves the picture on the monitor (display). The drone’s battery provides up to 46 minutes of flight time on a full charge; the drone has a flight range of up to 15 kilometers.
Drones break down, and need maintenance and accessories. Be sure to buy an extra battery, preferably two pieces. A second monitor and remote control are also helpful. The military will thank you for the additional propellers, charging cords and dumping systems.
