• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • DroneRacingLife
  • DroneFlyers
  • Newsletter
DroneLife

DRONELIFE

Stay up to date on all the latest Drone News

  • News
  • Products
  • Industries
    • Agriculture
    • Construction
    • Delivery
    • Dual Use
    • Inspection
    • Public Safety
    • Surveying
  • Enthusiasts
  • Regulations
  • Business
  • Video
  • Podcasts

Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute

May 30, 2022 by Miriam McNabb 16 Comments

On Memorial Day, we pay tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. This year, we also pay homage to some of the global commercial drone companies who continue to contribute in meaningful ways to keep Ukrainian soldiers, volunteers and civilians alive. To all, we salute you!

Continue reading below or listen:

DroneLife · Global – Drone – Companies – Saving – Lives – In – Ukraine

Global Drone Companies Are Saving Lives in Ukraine

 By: Dawn Zoldi (Colonel, USAF Ret.)

As countries seemingly stood by and debated what to do for Ukraine, the global commercial drone industry stepped up. In an unprecedented grassroots effort, global commercial drone manufacturers have worked directly with NATO, Ukrainian defense officials or nonprofits to put commercial off the shelf (COTS) and do-it-yourself hobby drones in the hands of Ukrainian military and volunteer forces. In many cases, they also provided in-person training. These companies have ultimately helped to save lives. This article highlights some of these impactful contributions.

Red Cat Holdings Inc./Rotor Riot

drone companies Ukraine
Chad Kapper, Brand Manager for Red Cat Holdings Inc., which wholly owns subsidiary Rotor Riot, holding a FPV hobby drone he brought with him to Poland and donated to Ukrainian forces.

In the early days of the conflict, Rotor Riot provided 10 free-style drones to a Ukrainian civilian drone hobby group supporting the country’s military. A wholly owned subsidiary of Red Cat Holdings Inc., the Orlando-Florida, based company sells premier high performance first-person view (FPV) drone products and parts.

 According to Chad Kapper, Brand Manager for Red Cat, the hobby group his company is assisting helped divert a column of Russian tanks with their small toy drones. The group has since been training the Ukrainian military.

 Kapper said, “Ukraine is using everything they can get their hands on.” The Rotor Riot FPV drones, which do not rely on trackable GPS, provide a cheap, fast, nimble and more secure option for the Ukrainians.

 Kapper recently delivered the drones in person, in Poland. He learned Ukrainian forces use these drones for everything from forward observation and adjusting fires to delivering grenades.

 “I’m amazed at the unprecedented contributions of commercial and hobby drones, the way these drones are being used and the number of civilians over here jumping into the fray,” Kapper noted. “It’s tremendously inspirational.” 

Skydio

Volunteer Ukraine Ground Forces attend training on the Skydio drone system. Location: Ukraine

Another early mover, Skydio, a Redwood City, California-headquartered American manufacturer of autonomous drones, and one of the few on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) approved list of cyber-secure “Blue” drones, initially donated $300K worth of technology and training to the Ukranians, outside of DoD channels.

 More than half of Skydio’s federal team are military veterans, many with extensive experience using drones in combat. To aid its Ukrainian partners, Skydio sent a team of employees with tactical operational experience using drones to Poland in order to provide training and enablement. The company also translated operational manuals and training materials into Ukrainian.

 Since its initial contributions, the company has sold hundreds of its drones to NGOs supporting Ukraine. It continues to actively respond to additional opportunities.

 According to a Skydio spokesperson, “We build our drones in the United States and have a team dedicated to fulfilling every Ukrainian order as quickly as possible. We give orders supporting frontline operations in Ukraine first priority for production and fulfillment.”

 BRINC

BRINC founder Blake Resnick talks Ukrainian first responders through the controls of the LEMUR drone in Poland.

 Like Skydio and Rotor Riot, BRINC drones also donated drones and traveled to Poland to provide training. BRINC builds resilient 3-D printed systems in the service of public safety. Its drones played a pivotal role in helping to find survivors and assess the structural integrity of buildings in the wake of the Surfside condominium collapse in Miami, Florida in June 2021. Its worldwide reputation for non-GPS reliant and communications-secure drones, used by SWAT teams worldwide, led Ukrainian contacts to reach out to Las Vegas, Nevada-based start up for help.

 In an extraordinary gesture, the company bought its own drones back from its distributors, out of pocket, to rapidly move the equipment to the front lines. BRINC CEO Blake Resnick, a 21-year old multi-millionaire phenom, traveled overseas personally. He explained, “We felt passionately that we wanted to give the Ukrainian people the equipment they needed, even without getting paid.”

 BRINC made the initial donation of hardware to Ukraine emergency services. “That’s how it started,” noted Resnick. “But once other elements in the Ukrainian military heard about it, they asked for more.” The company ultimately donated additional assets totaling $150K.

 Friendly NATO countries, including the Netherlands, have since contacted BRINC to purchase dozens of drones, in support of Ukraine. Resnick informed he plans to provide yet another tranche of drones in the near future.

Quantum-Systems GmBH

Ukrainian forces pictured here with Quantum-Systems’ fixed-wing-to-tri copter configured Vector eVTOL drone.

 Besides the Dutch, other NATO countries have pitched in. Quantum-Systems GmBH, based in Munich, Germany, originally donated a few of its fixed-wing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Trinity mapping systems to Ukraine.

 Dave Sharpin, a U.S. Air Force veteran and CEO of the company’s U.S.-based subsidiary, Quantum-Systems Inc., explained that Ukrainian forces employ the Trinity for mapping-related missions, such as evidence collection and battle damage assessment.

 Ex-Bundeswehr soldier and aviator Florian Seibel, who founded the drone startup in 2015, noted the company is now shipping its Vector, fixed-wing-to-tri copter configured eVTOL drone as well.

 Seibel said, “Our involvement in supporting Ukraine has led to significant order intake in the last weeks and months. Top league, U.S. based investors now see significant growth potential in Europe in the next decade. With this backing and a very strong international sales pipeline we are now ready to become the next Defence Player to watch out for. In the meantime, we stand with Ukraine.”

 Draganfly Inc.

Draganfly Inc.’s Medical Response Drone flys blood and other critical medical supplies to the front lines.

 The Canadian commercial drone industry has also made an indelible mark in the Ukraine conflict. Draganfly Inc., a publicly traded award-winning, industry-leading drone solutions and systems developer from Saskatoon, partnered with Coldchain Delivery Systems Inc. to deliver its Medical Response Drones, and related training, to Revived Soldiers Ukraine (“RSU”) in May.

 The Medical Response Drone, which holds up to 35 lbs and features a proprietary temperature-managed Medical Response Payload Box, transports temperature-sensitive medical supplies to the war’s wounded in dangerous and hard-to-reach areas. The company announced additional orders of its Search and Rescue Drones will also support Ukraine’s efforts.

 “The crisis across Ukraine continues to create challenging conditions for emergency crews trying to provide aid to those in need. Our Medical Response Drone and Search and Rescue Drone solutions will help RSU effectively access hotspots and deliver crucial medical supplies and equipment to affected Ukrainians,” said Cameron Chell, President and CEO of Draganfly.

Volatus Aerospace

Volatus Aerospace has provided Ukrainian forces with weather-resistant thermal imagery drones.

 Volatus Aerospace, a new publicly listed drone technology and aircraft management company based in Ontario with operations in Canada, the U.S., Latin America, and the United Kingdom, initially sent 30 thermal drones to Ukraine. It recently partnered with Aerovel to provide its Flexrotor tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) drone, to the country.

 “Our team is in regular contact with Ukrainian defenders on the frontline. Aerorozvidka leadership tells us that the small drones are becoming less effective because of their low altitude and short endurance combined with Russian jamming. Ukraine needs dynamic situational awareness and accurate targeting,” said Glen Lynch, Volatus CEO. “The Aerovel Flexrotor is capable of altitudes of up to 6.5 km, airspeeds of up to 170 kph and staying aloft for up to 30 hours, making it the ideal solution.”

Commercial and hobby drones and their leaders have made a difference in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in unparalleled ways. Commercial drones have helped in the defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty. They have saved lives. They will continue to do so across battlefields in Ukraine and future conflicts for the foreseeable future.

Read more about drones in the Ukraine:

  • BRINC Drones Donated Hardware and Training to Ukraine; It Took the Whole Company to Do It
  • AeroVironment Donates More Than 100 Quantix Recon Drones to Ukraine
  • Draganfly Medical Response, Search and Rescue Drones Go to Ukraine
  • Civilian Drones Help Ukraine Ready for Conflict as Donations Pour In

Red Cat Holdings [NASDAQ:RCAT] and Draganfly [NASDAQ:DPRO] are holdings in the AdvisorShares Drone Technology ETF [NYSE ARCA:UAV], the only ETF dedicated to the drone economy. The AdvisorShares Drone Technology ETF is a thematic investment strategy seeking to capture the growth opportunities in drones and autonomous vehicles (AV).  AdvisorShares is a DRONELIFE sponsor.

Dawn M.K. Zoldi (Colonel, USAF, Retired) is a licensed attorney with 28 years of combined active duty military and federal civil service to the Department of the Air Force. She is an intIernationally recognized expert on unmanned aircraft system law and policy, a columnist for several magazines,recipient of the Woman to Watch in UAS (Leadership) Award 2019, President and CEO of UAS Colorado and the CEO of P3 Tech Consulting LLC. For more information, visit her website at: https://www.p3techconsulting.com.

 

 

Miriam McNabb
Miriam McNabb

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry.  Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.

TWITTER:@spaldingbarker

Subscribe to DroneLife here.

Filed Under: Drone News Feeds, Featured, News Tagged With: Aerovironment, BRINC, Dawn Zoldi, Draganfly, drones in Ukraine, Quantum-Systems, Skydio, Volatus

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Ukrainian Commandos Decimate Russian Mechanized Force Using Racing Hobby Drones – Forbes - Russia's war on Ukraine News Updates - Artillerytext.com says:
    January 5, 2023 at 5:34 am

    […] also in use in the conflict. Manufacturer Rotor Riot donated over a dozen racers to Ukraine, which allegedly “helped divert a column of Russian tanks” early in the war according to an article by […]

    Reply
  2. Ukrainian Commandos Decimate Russian Mechanized Force Using Racing Hobby Drones - Forn All News says:
    December 29, 2022 at 8:39 am

    […] also in use in the conflict. Manufacturer Rotor Riot donated about a dozen racers to Ukraine, which allegedly “helped divert a column of Russian tanks” early in the war according to an article by […]

    Reply
  3. Ukrainian Commandos Decimate Russian Mechanized Force Using Racing Hobby Drones – Foot Care says:
    December 29, 2022 at 8:26 am

    […] also in use in the conflict. Manufacturer Rotor Riot donated over a dozen racers to Ukraine, which allegedly “helped divert a column of Russian tanks” early in the war according to an article by […]

    Reply
  4. Ukrainian Commandos Decimate Russian Mechanized Force Using Racing Hobby Drones says:
    December 29, 2022 at 8:16 am

    […] also in use in the conflict. Manufacturer Rotor Riot donated over a dozen racers to Ukraine, which allegedly “helped divert a column of Russian tanks” early in the war according to an article by […]

    Reply
  5. Ukrainian Commandos Decimate Russian Mechanized Force Using Racing Hobby Drones – Innovatio Media says:
    December 29, 2022 at 7:12 am

    […] also in use in the conflict. Manufacturer Rotor Riot donated over a dozen racers to Ukraine, which allegedly “helped divert a column of Russian tanks” early in the war according to an article by […]

    Reply
  6. Ukrainian Commandos Decimate Russian Mechanized Force Using Racing Hobby Drones - ivermectincaps.com says:
    December 29, 2022 at 7:08 am

    […] also in use in the conflict. Manufacturer Rotor Riot donated over a dozen racers to Ukraine, which allegedly “helped entertain a column of Russian tanks” early in the war according to an article by Drone […]

    Reply
  7. DRONELIFE News of the Week June 3 – DroneLife – Business Aviation News says:
    June 7, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    […] Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute […]

    Reply
  8. DRONELIFE Information of the Week June 3 - Technological View says:
    June 7, 2022 at 10:43 am

    […] World Drone Corporations Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute […]

    Reply
  9. Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine | DroneScape says:
    May 31, 2022 at 4:13 am

    […] Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry.  Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam. […]

    Reply
  10. Exclusive: After Ukraine, 'whole world' is a customer for Turkish drone, maker says - Reuters - K드론팀 says:
    May 31, 2022 at 3:02 am

    […] After Ukraine, ‘whole world’ is a customer for Turkish drone, maker says  ReutersGlobal Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute  DroneLife‘the Whole World’ Wants to Buy Turkish Bayraktar Drones, Designer […]

    Reply
  11. Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute | taktik(z) GDI (Government Defense Infrastructure) says:
    May 30, 2022 at 12:51 pm

    […] post Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute appeared first on […]

    Reply
  12. Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute | UAV FL says:
    May 30, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    […] post Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute appeared first on […]

    Reply
  13. Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine – Game Up News says:
    May 30, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    […] Source link […]

    Reply
  14. Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine says:
    May 30, 2022 at 11:49 am

    […] More… […]

    Reply
  15. Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute - DroneLife - K드론팀 says:
    May 30, 2022 at 11:02 am

    […] Global Drone Companies Saving Lives in Ukraine: A Memorial Day Salute  DroneLife […]

    Reply
  16. वैश्विक ड्रोन कंपनियां यूक्रेन में जान बचा रही हैं: एक स्मृति दिवस सलामी India May 2022 - Visit हिन्दी मे says:
    May 30, 2022 at 10:14 am

    […] मिरियम मैकनब DRONELIFE की प्रधान संपादक और JobForDrones की सीईओ हैं, जो एक पेशेवर ड्रोन सेवा बाज़ार है, और उभरते ड्रोन उद्योग और ड्रोन के लिए नियामक वातावरण का एक आकर्षक पर्यवेक्षक है। मिरियम ने वाणिज्यिक ड्रोन स्पेस पर केंद्रित 3,000 से अधिक लेख लिखे हैं और उद्योग में एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय वक्ता और मान्यता प्राप्त व्यक्ति हैं। मिरियम के पास शिकागो विश्वविद्यालय से डिग्री है और नई तकनीकों के लिए उच्च तकनीक बिक्री और विपणन में 20 से अधिक वर्षों का अनुभव है।ड्रोन उद्योग परामर्श या लेखन के लिए, ईमेल मिरियम. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

LATEST

Drone Light Shows, Ukraine’s Drone Industry, & NASCAR in Chicago: On Weekly Wings Podcast

In this exciting episode of Weekly Wings, the drone industry podcast hosted by Paul Rossi and Samuel Stansberry, we dive…

Continue Reading Drone Light Shows, Ukraine’s Drone Industry, & NASCAR in Chicago: On Weekly Wings Podcast

Drone Show Fail: What Happened to Cause 55 Drones to Fall Out of the Sky?

FAA Investigating: Was a Jamming Attack Responsible? According to an article in the Seattle Times, what was supposed to be…

Continue Reading Drone Show Fail: What Happened to Cause 55 Drones to Fall Out of the Sky?

Anti-Jamming Drones: Enhancing Battlefield Resilience

Doodle Labs technology helps drones in combat evade jamming By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill The war in Ukraine, which…

Continue Reading Anti-Jamming Drones: Enhancing Battlefield Resilience

Tilt Shift Photography with Drones

Transforming Reality: Mastering the Miniature Effect with Tilt-Shift Photography and Drones by DRONELIFE Contributing Editor Paul Rossi Don’t miss Paul…

Continue Reading Tilt Shift Photography with Drones

Tulsa Awarded $51 Million to Advance Autonomous Technology Development

Funding to Boost Innovation and Job Creation in Autonomous Systems The Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)…

Continue Reading Tulsa Awarded $51 Million to Advance Autonomous Technology Development

Stellantis Boosts Investment in Archer Aviation by $55 Million

Strategic Funding to Accelerate eVTOL Aircraft Production Stellantis N.V. and Archer Aviation Inc. have announced a significant $55 million investment…

Continue Reading Stellantis Boosts Investment in Archer Aviation by $55 Million

Overwatch Group and PteroDynamics Forge Exclusive Distribution Agreement

Agreement Covers Transwing® VTOL UAS in UK, Saudi Arabia, and UAE Overwatch Group, a UK-based specialist in unmanned systems and…

Continue Reading Overwatch Group and PteroDynamics Forge Exclusive Distribution Agreement

Medical Drone Delivery Service to Launch in Dublin

Wing and Apian Partner with Blackrock Health, St. Vincent’s Private Hospital, and Medtronic for Innovative Medical Supplies Drone Delivery in…

Continue Reading Medical Drone Delivery Service to Launch in Dublin

FAA Reauthorization, Tethered Drones and Public Safety: the Fotokite Whitepaper

New Legislation Unlocks Operational Freedom for Public Safety Teams In February 2024, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American…

Continue Reading FAA Reauthorization, Tethered Drones and Public Safety: the Fotokite Whitepaper

Stefanik, Moolenaar Statement: Autel Robotics Added to US Government Department of Commerce Blacklist

According to a statement published by lawmakers on June 21, the US Government Department of Commerce has announced the addition…

Continue Reading Stefanik, Moolenaar Statement: Autel Robotics Added to US Government Department of Commerce Blacklist

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

SPONSORED

Military Drone Mapping Solutions

How SimActive’s Correlator3D™ is Revolutionizing Military Mapping: An Exclusive Interview with CEO Philippe Simard

Photogrammetry Accuracy Standards

SimActive Photogrammetry Software: Enabling Users to Meet Accuracy Standards for Over 20 Years

NACT Engineering Parrot ANAFI tether indoor shot

Smart Tether for Parrot ANAFI USA from NACT Engineering

Blue Marble, features global mapper, features Blue Marble

Check Out These New Features in Global Mapper v25 from Blue Marble

Blue Marble Graphics, Blue Marble Mobile Mapper

Global Mapper Mobile: Streamlining Data Collection and Processing

CrewID for drone

CrewID™: Giving Drone Teams the Identification and Access They Need

About Us | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Write for Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service

The Trusted Source for the Business of Drones.

This website uses cookies and third party services. By clicking OK, you are agreeing to our privacy policy. ACCEPT

Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT