Ukraine Built Raybird-3 Breaks Records on the Front Lines

Ukrainian technology companies are rapidly developing products to meet the current needs of their military forces: and the Raybird-3 is a reconnaissance UAV breaking records on the front lines.  The dual use vehicle could be a game changer for both military and civil applications.

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Ukrainian drone company Skyeton has been in existence for 17 years, producing dual use aircraft.  Development of the Raybird series began in 2015, setting endurance records in Ukraine in 2019 and entering the global market in 2020.

Now, the Raybird-3 is at work on the battlefield, performing reconnaissance missions in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Operations on the Battlefield

The Raybird-3 operates at altitudes ranging from 2,500 to 4,500 meters: where air defense systems are unable to detect the drone’s signals and target it for destruction.

“During the Zaporizhzhia mission, hostile forces attempted to take down several UAVs. While another drone flying at 1,800 meters was shot down, the Raybird-3 ascended to a higher altitude of 2,300 meters to evade the attack. The enemy’s anti-aircraft systems struggled to identify and engage the target accurately. Evading these threats, the drone continued its flight, acquiring the coordinates of enemy equipment. These coordinates were then relayed to the artillery units, who subsequently engaged and neutralized the enemy equipment,” stated Ukrainian military officials.

The Raybird-3 is designed to meet the challenges of electronic warfare, with sophisticated software architecture, control mechanisms, and navigation systems.  The drone is able to transition between frequency channels, so that if one becomes compromised between systems even in electronic warfare. The aircraft can be controlled using telemetry data, which provides precise information about altitude, speed, pressure, and more: but if telemetry data becomes inaccessible, control can be maintained using the live map feed and video transmission.  The Raybird-3 is able to transition seamlessly between systems as required.

Endurance and Flight Stability

Long flight times and exceptional flight stability during reconnaissance missions means that the Raybird-3 can support multiple fronts simultaneously. “The Raybird-3 can remain airborne for up to 24 hours without requiring refueling and cover more than 2,000 kilometers per flight, being more than 100 kilometers deep into enemy territory,” says the company press release.

“During missions, we can undertake reconnaissance tasks previously assigned to other UAV systems in the event of their incapacitation. By altering the drone’s course, we can accomplish numerous tasks in a single flight,” explained military personnel.

While Skyeton began as a commercial drone company, the team is focused on delivering the sophisticated tools that the Ukrainian military relies upon now.

“At present, a single Raybird-3 is capable of conducting an impressive number of sorties, providing support to aircraft on various fronts. On average, one UAV at the front makes up to 5 sorties, while one Raybird-3 aircraft shows the result of dozens of missions. Our primary objective is to meet the military’s requirements, driving continuous equipment improvement,” remarked Skyeton representatives.

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