This is a small but important part of efforts by Ukraine's allies to support Ukraine's UAV program, which Kiev hopes will help it regain the advantage in its conflict with Russia.
The division produces the gimbal for the Evolve Dynamics Sky Mantis surveillance drone at a laboratory near Guildford, England. Photo: Reuters
Companies in dozens of countries have supplied drones and related components to Ukraine. Some companies like Evolve Dynamics are also focusing on technological advances to counter Russia's powerful electronic warfare (EW) capabilities.
Thanks to the development of alternative radio link algorithms, this solution aims to make it more difficult for an adversary to jam the signal. Both sides have increasingly deployed EW systems, which can disrupt the frequency of command transmissions from pilots to drones, causing them to fall out of the sky or miss their targets.
Evolve Dynamics CEO Mike Dewhirst estimates there have been 85 upgrades made to the company's Sky Mantis drones in the past two and a half years. “It was a constant game of ping-pong between opponents,” he said.
The UK, a staunch ally of Kiev, says it is the largest supplier of drones to Ukraine and is working with Latvia to lead a coalition of European countries to boost production. Other allies such as Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway have also provided Ukraine with combat drones.
Ukraine has nurtured its private military startups to innovate and build domestic industry as hostilities with Russia enter their third year.
In total, there are currently about 200 drone manufacturers in Ukraine, and Ukraine's Ministry of Strategic Industries said the country could produce up to 2 million drones this year.
With Evolve Dynamics, the company has reconnaissance drones in Ukraine and Ukrainian military units will receive software and component updates directly from the company, allowing them to make changes themselves (if possible).
Some military experts say instant communication between defense companies and soldiers could become a more common feature of warfare due to rapid technological innovation. This trend could have an impact on everything from shopping to training.
Last month, a military unit in Ukraine asked Evolve Dynamics to make changes to its technology to make pilots safer.
Evolve Dynamics currently has around 100 Sky Mantis surveillance drones flying in Ukraine, making it one of the UK's key drone suppliers to Ukraine.
The UK has pledged to spend 325 million pounds ($416 million) to send 10.000 drones to Ukraine this year, and Evolve Dynamics hopes to achieve more of that work.
Mai Anh (according to Reuters)
