A workshop in western Ukraine, one of many startups that are producing affordable weapons to help Ukrainian troops confront the Russians, has been the subject of attention by The Wall Street Journal. The lack of sufficient ammunition and the refusal of additional military support from the United States have forced Ukraine to look for its own ways to solve the problem, and one of them has been the mass production of FPV drones.
These drones, made from commercially available components, are cost-effective and have a simple production process. Workshops are popping up all over the country, churning out thousands of FPV drones every month. These drones are then sent to the front, where they are attached to explosives and launched towards Russian trenches and armored vehicles. The operator controls the drone using a controller and virtual reality goggles that transmit images from the drone’s camera.
“Due to our economic limitations, we cannot produce tanks. Our response was to create drones,” says Mykola Havrylyuk, CEO of Sparrow Avia.
With Ukraine on the defensive, FPV drones have become a key element. While they cannot deliver the devastating blows of artillery shells or mortars, which are currently unavailable, they have proven effective in the Ukrainian military. The drones are used to attack vulnerable parts of armored vehicles to disable them, as well as to hit trucks and even infantry, making it difficult to move people and supplies to the front line.
As a result of Russian missile strikes, Ukrainian drone manufacturers have been forced to keep their businesses secret, with a few dozen employees in one building and a few dozen more in another. This protective measure is designed to maintain operational capacity in the face of Russian missile attacks. Despite this, their plans are aimed at expanding mass production.
Today, Ukraine produces 62 types of drones. Drone developers are actively working on new models that can fly longer distances, carry heavier ammunition, and withstand Russian electronic jamming, which can disrupt communication between the drone and the operator.
The Wall Street Journal visited one of Sparrow’s three facilities, which produces about 3,000 FPV drones per month. Future plans by CEO Mykola Havrylyuk and his partner include a significant increase in production to 10,000 drones per month.
While the company buys in certain components, such as carbon fiber, cameras and motors, it makes most of the parts itself using 3D printers. The finished FPV drones have a low-profile appearance compared to others available online, with a thin carbon fiber body, four sets of propellers and a battery attached to the top. “The biggest challenge is getting the parts from China and the logistics of getting them here,” added Havrylyuk.
According to the entrepreneur, the Ukrainian government purchases about half of the drones produced each month, while the rest are purchased by volunteers and local authorities, who then send them to military units.
The Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, announced that the government has put forward proposals for a number of incentives for enterprises engaged in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These incentives include tax reductions and the abolition of import duties. The Minister noted that the role of the state is to coordinate and create opportunities for the development of this industry.
Sparrow currently employs just 70 people, and only three of them are women. Havrylyuk said he plans to hire 130 more in the next two months. He said the staff is being recruited from friends and relatives of existing employees, as each new employee carries certain risks related to the possible disclosure of the factory's location, which could lead to missile attacks by Russian forces.
Ukraine is actively developing drones with extended ranges, similar to those used to strike oil refineries in Russia this month. Sparrow has unveiled a large strike drone capable of carrying up to 9kg of explosives. In addition, developers are working on models that can use artificial intelligence to destroy targets if Russian electronic jammers cut off communication with the pilot.
