During the full-scale war, the government changed its policy for drone manufacturers, removing blockers and creating conditions for them. This gave a start to mass production.
Now production is developing, and while companies are gaining momentum, you can personally move Ukraine to victory, even in the rear.” writes Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov:
“That’s why I said that one million FPV drones in a year is a realistic goal.”
A course on creating drones
Ukrainians are constantly creating cool initiatives to help the Defense Forces. Fedorov talks about the People’s Drone project by Victory Drones, a project of the Dignitas Technology Assistance Fund. This is an engineering course that teaches you how to assemble a 7-inch FPV drone at home.
“During the training, you will have access to lectures, Zoom with lecturers, a list of components and a master list of tools and materials to be purchased, as well as access to a community of engineers where you can consult and ask questions,” Fedorov notes.
The course starts every two weeks. The course is completely free of charge. Register here.
Testing and sending to the front
You assemble the FPV and send it to Victory Drones instructors. After that, the drone undergoes a quality check and a weight test. If the test is successful, the drone will be handed over to the military.
The course participants have already delivered more than 100 drones to the military. In total, more than 80% of them came to the Victory Drones instructors in good working condition, while the rest needed some work. This is a very high rate for a pilot assembly.
“FPV drones have become game changers in this war. Join the project and be involved in the victory!” – adds Fedorov.
Skepticism from an expert
In his turn, Yuriy Kasyanov, an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, radio engineer, aerial reconnaissance specialist, notes that the initiative to assemble drones at home is “full of nonsense.”
“And this is not even a criticism of Fedorov, who has done a lot to increase the number of drones in the war with his ‘Army of Drones’. But Mykhailo is still an IT specialist, a minister, a statesman, and the only problem is that we don’t have another Fedorov – a drone designer, a drone pilot, a drone commander, who would take a place in the government, in the Ministry of Defense, in the General Staff,” Kasyanov writes. -“Everywhere we have people who don’t understand anything about the drone industry, who command drone units, who don’t understand anything about it. Former paratroopers, former politicians, former MPs, awesome volunteers and just bureaucrats – there are no drone experts among the leaders.”
According to the expert, it is necessary to build factories, train people, and purchase equipment and components centrally, rather than repeat the Chinese experience of “smelting iron in every peasant’s yard and assembling drones in every city kitchen.”
“That’s why our drones are technologically inferior to Russian ones, they don’t have thermal imagers, they don’t fly to Moscow, and there are never enough of them. Because there are no smart, knowledgeable people among those in command. But there are plenty of amateurs, populists, idiots and looters. Mikhail Fedorov should pay attention to this. Then there will be drones,” Kasyanov adds.