More than 140 new models of drones have been approved for operation since the beginning of the year, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday, UNN reports.
During the first 9 months of 2024, the Defense Ministry codified and authorized more than 140 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 33 ground robotic systems (GRSs) made in Ukraine for use in the Defense Forces. For comparison, in 2023, 60 UAVs and 9 ground robotic systems of domestic production were codified
"The role of unmanned systems is growing rapidly on the battlefield. Ukrainian weapon makers are quick to respond to the needs of the frontline. Today, they produce unmanned systems of a wide range of products," said Colonel Volodymyr Rochniak, Head of the Main Directorate for Life Cycle Support of Weapons and Military Equipment.
According to him, Ukrainian weapons manufacturers are actively developing the production of aviation drones for various purposes - kamikazes, bombers, scouts, and correctors. They also produce different types of drones - airplane, copter, tactical, operational, and strategic drones - with different ranges. Ground-based robotic systems also perform a wide range of tasks: strike, reconnaissance, logistics, evacuation, engineering, etc.
"Of all the drones (air and ground) authorized for use this year, more than 40% were codified during the third quarter. This indicates the revival of arms production in Ukraine," the Defense Ministry said.
Among those authorized for use in the Ukrainian Defense Forces are unmanned systems that are resistant to electronic warfare, radio-transparent, low-noise, with homing and self-destruct systems, etc.