• 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

Germandrones and PERUN Scale Drone Support for Ukraine

November 21, 2025 by Miriam McNabb 1 Comment

Songbird surveillance platform and Phoenix FPV program expand with frontline feedback and local production

Germandrones and Ukrainian partner PERUN Precision Works Ukraine are deepening their cooperation to support Ukraine’s drone operations at the front. Over the past twelve months, the partners have delivered more than 500 Songbird surveillance drones to Ukrainian units, alongside pilot training, maintenance, and technical support.

As demand grows, the companies are scaling production, expanding training programs, and building out local service capabilities in Ukraine. Joint development teams in Germany and Ukraine work together to refine existing systems and move new capabilities into the field as quickly as possible.

Scaling Songbird Deliveries and Training

The Songbird platform is a fully automatic VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) system designed for long-range missions. With a maximum flight time of about two hours, it can fly roughly 100 kilometers beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), making it well suited for surveillance, mapping, and reconnaissance tasks in contested environments.

Germandrones has focused on delivering systems and expertise, while PERUN provides local delivery, hands-on training, and ongoing maintenance for Ukrainian units. Over the last year, more than 500 Songbird drones have reached frontline users.

Engineers from Germandrones and PERUN work directly with Ukrainian armed forces to translate operational experience into concrete upgrades. Feedback from active missions informs both software and hardware changes, helping crews adapt to evolving threats and conditions.

Engineering with Frontline Feedback

The development teams in Germany and Ukraine treat frontline feedback as a core part of the engineering process. During recent months, Germandrones and PERUN engineers have cooperated on improvements to the Songbird system, integrating user reports from active operations into current updates and planned future upgrades.

Ongoing technical work focuses on improving handling under frontline conditions, as well as extending flight range, communication links, and navigation robustness. These changes are coordinated between the cross-border teams, tested, and then passed quickly to operational units.

This approach shortens the loop between design and deployment. It allows the system to evolve as operational demands change, and helps ensure that new features address real needs rather than theoretical requirements.

Phoenix FPV Program and Interceptor Plans

Beyond the Songbird program, Germandrones and PERUN are also cooperating on the Phoenix FPV drone, which is produced locally in Ukraine. The Phoenix FPV platform has passed operational tests with several Ukrainian units. It adds another tool to the portfolio, focused on first-person-view missions that demand agility and precision.

Active bodies for the Phoenix platform are provided by Ragnarök LLC, a joint venture between Germandrones and Ukrainian partner Andrey Lutsky. The joint venture is also planning the development of interceptor systems and the medium-term supply of equipment for NATO countries.

Within this framework, the Phoenix K1 variant plays a key role. The Phoenix K1 supports an effective payload of up to 3.5 kilograms and an operational range of up to 30 kilometers. Target acquisition and tracking are supported by AI, which helps operators identify and follow targets more efficiently.

Production capacity expansion for Phoenix is underway. Facilities are planned to support the manufacture of up to 10,000 Phoenix units per month, reflecting the scale of demand for FPV and loitering systems in modern conflicts.

Management Perspectives

Company leaders on both sides frame the cooperation as a long-term commitment rather than a short-term response.

Klaus Scho, CEO Germandrones, said: “Germandrones is strengthening its commitment to long-term support of the Ukrainian armed forces through technology partnerships and local production. This will enable us to achieve our goals of technological leadership and growth more quickly.”

Igor Savuliak, CEO PERUN Precision Works Ukraine, emphasized the role of integration between development and operations. “Close integration of production, training and field operations ensures rapid, practical improvements and reliable local sustainment.”

About Germandrones and the Condor Group

Germandrones develops and manufactures unmanned aerial systems for industrial and security use, with a focus on reliability and professional applications. The company’s systems and software, built to German technical standards, support use cases such as surveying and mapping, search and rescue, inspection, and security and surveillance.

The Songbird family combines the range and endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft with the flexibility of a multicopter, allowing vertical takeoff and landing without a runway. Germandrones’ planning and control software is designed for professional missions in inspection, mapping, and operations by police, military, rescue, and security organizations.

Germandrones operates within the broader security and technology ecosystem of the CONDOR-Group. Since 1978, CONDOR has provided protection and security services across Germany and abroad, including rail construction site security, critical infrastructure protection, maritime and aviation security, and 24/7 monitoring services. The group also works in UAV technology, offering pilot training, drone operations, and the distribution of hardware and software, including VTOL systems for route and area monitoring.

The expanded partnership between Germandrones and PERUN builds on this background in security and unmanned systems. Together, the companies aim to sustain and scale drone support for Ukraine through a mix of local production, ongoing training, and continuous technical improvement.

Read more:

  • Ukraine’s Drone Boom: How Wartime Innovation Is Reshaping the Global Drone Industry
  • Ukraine Eyes Role as Europe’s Drone Hub
  • Auterion Wins $50M Pentagon Contract to Deliver 33,000 AI‑Driven Drone Strike Kits to Ukraine
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: Applications, Defense, Drone News, Drone News Feeds, Drones in the News, Dual Use, News Tagged With: BVLOS, defense technology, Drone Manufacturing, FPV drones, frontline drone support, Germandrones, military drones, NATO drone equipment, PERUN Precision Works Ukraine, Phoenix FPV, Phoenix K1, Songbird drone, Ukraine drone operations

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. digital forensics says

    November 26, 2025 at 4:59 am

    The frontline feedback loop between engineers and operators is a powerful model almost like real-time battlefield-driven R&D. Do you think this could redefine how military tech is developed globally?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Primary Sidebar

LATEST

Who Builds the Sky? How Regional Partnerships Are Creating the Infrastructure for Advanced Air Mobility

On this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Lavera Alexander of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership discusses why the future…

Continue Reading Who Builds the Sky? How Regional Partnerships Are Creating the Infrastructure for Advanced Air Mobility

FAA Moves from Planning to Building for Advanced Air Mobility

New research facility signals shift from policy development to operational readiness The Federal Aviation Administration is taking another step toward…

Continue Reading FAA Moves from Planning to Building for Advanced Air Mobility

How Skyways Quietly Built a Global Heavy-Lift Drone Business

Texas-based company expands offshore cargo operations while preparing for the next phase of U.S. BVLOS regulations By DRONELIFE Features Editor…

Continue Reading How Skyways Quietly Built a Global Heavy-Lift Drone Business

National Resilience Strategy Connects the Dots Behind U.S. Drone Policy

New White House strategy frames commercial drones as part of a broader effort to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, infrastructure, and supply…

Continue Reading National Resilience Strategy Connects the Dots Behind U.S. Drone Policy

Beyond the Drone: Percepto’s New Platform Brings AI to Infrastructure Inspections

Percepto launches next-gen inspection software By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill For energy companies, producing actionable data is almost as…

Continue Reading Beyond the Drone: Percepto’s New Platform Brings AI to Infrastructure Inspections

Danish Investigation Finds No Proof Drones Caused Copenhagen Airport Shutdown

Nine-month investigation underscores the need for better airspace awareness, not just more speculation News and Commentary.  A nine-month investigation into…

Continue Reading Danish Investigation Finds No Proof Drones Caused Copenhagen Airport Shutdown

Flytrex and Wing Report Zero Airspace Conflicts for Multi-Operator Drone Delivery

Flytrex says automated UTM coordination with Wing has deconflicted 100% of operations in Dallas–Fort Worth shared airspace, with zero conflicts.…

Continue Reading Flytrex and Wing Report Zero Airspace Conflicts for Multi-Operator Drone Delivery

BRINC Partnership Gives Public Safety Agencies an “Immediate Upgrade” in Incident Intelligence

BRINC and Nova Partner to Add Advanced Mapping and Thermal Intelligence for Public Safet Public safety drone manufacturer BRINC has…

Continue Reading BRINC Partnership Gives Public Safety Agencies an “Immediate Upgrade” in Incident Intelligence

Prodrone Debuts All-Japanese Industrial Drone

This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.     Aichi-based Prodrone introduces the PD4B-MS prototype,…

Continue Reading Prodrone Debuts All-Japanese Industrial Drone

Uruguayan Government Announces New Drone Dispatch Program

The Montevideo deployment, run in partnership with Uruguayan technology firm Timerix, ties gunshot-detection alerts to automated drone dispatch and live…

Continue Reading Uruguayan Government Announces New Drone Dispatch Program

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

SPONSORED

Inspired Flight Gremsy IF800 VIO F1 drones geo week

What Will It Take to Strengthen U.S. Drone Manufacturing? A Conversation with Inspired Flight’s CEO

Global Mapper Mobile data collection

Collection Ground Control Points with Global Mapper Mobile

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

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