A workshop in western Ukraine, one of a number of startups that produce affordable weapons to help Ukrainian troops fight the Russians, has become the focus of The Wall Street Journal. The conditions of the lack of sufficient ammunition and the refusal of additional military support from the United States forced Ukraine to look for its own ways to solve the problem, and one of them was the production of mass quantities of FPV drones.
Composed of commercially available components, these drones are cost-effectively manufactured and have a simple manufacturing process. Workshops are popping up all over the country, producing thousands of FPV drones every month. These drones are then sent to the front, where they are attached to explosives and launched toward Russian trenches and armored vehicles. The operator controls the drone using a controller and virtual glasses that transmit images from the drone's camera.
"Due to our economic limitations, we cannot manufacture tanks. Our answer was the creation of drones," says Mykola Gavrilyuk, CEO of Sparrow Avia.
In a situation where Ukraine is in a state of defense, FPV drones have become a key element. These drones, although unable to deliver such devastating strikes as artillery shells or mortar mines, which are currently unavailable, have proven effective against Ukrainian forces. Drones are used to attack vulnerable parts of armored vehicles to stop them, as well as to attack trucks and even infantry, making it difficult to move people and cargo to the front line.
As a result of Russian missile strikes, Ukrainian drone manufacturers are forced to keep their businesses secret, combining several dozen employees in one building and several dozen more in another. Such a protective measure is intended to maintain operational efficiency under conditions 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 munitions and withstand Russian electronic jamming that can disrupt communications between the drone and the operator.
Journalists from The Wall Street Journal visited one of Sparrow's three facilities, which produce approximately 3,000 FPV drones every month. The future plans of the general director, Mykola Gavrylyuk, and his partner include a significant increase in production volumes to 10,000 drones every month.
While the company purchases certain components, such as carbon fiber, cameras and motors, it makes most of the parts itself using 3D printers. The finished FPV drones are low-key compared to others available online, with a slim carbon fiber body, four sets of propellers and a battery pack attached to the top. "The biggest problem is getting parts from China and the logistics of delivering them here," Havryliuk added.
According to the entrepreneur, the Ukrainian government buys about half of the produced drones every month, while the rest are bought by volunteers and local authorities, who then send them to military units.
The Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, said 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. According to Havrylyuk, it is planned to hire another 130 employees in the next two months. He pointed out that the staff is chosen from among friends and relatives of existing workers, because each new worker brings certain risks related to the possible disclosure of the location of the factory, which could lead to missile attacks by Russian forces.
Ukraine is actively developing drones with an increased range, similar to those used to strike oil refineries in Russia this month. The Sparrow company presented a large impact drone capable of carrying up to 9 kg of explosives. In addition, developers are working on models that will be able to use artificial intelligence to engage targets in the event that Russian electronic jammers cut off communication with the pilot.
