Ukraine Extends Drone Reach With Repeaters and Acoustic Sensors
WHO:
TechRadar - A Kyiv startup that was three months old built a drone detector.
Business Insider - Ukrainian arms maker Twist Robotics makes a signal-repeating version of its Saker Scout drone.
Business Insider - Rostyslav Olenchyn, Twist Robotics’ co-founder and chief information officer, described the Saker Scout’s redesign and role as a relay station.
Business Insider - Roboneers developed a Wardog drone version able to carry up to three kilograms of relay equipment; Skyriper makes the single-purpose Skyriper-R Airborne Repeater.
Business Insider - Volodymyr Zinovskyi, CEO of TAF Industries, said his company began producing relay drones at units’ request.
Business Insider - Dmytro “Liber” Zhluktenko, a former drone operator and lessons-learned analyst with Ukraine’s 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment “RAID,” described Ukrainian use of repeaters.
Business Insider - Oleksiy, commander of the 2nd UAV engineer platoon of Ukraine’s International Defense Legion, said his unit uses drone repeaters.
Business Insider - Russia also uses relay technology, including to help attack drones fly deeper into Ukraine.
WHAT:
TechRadar - The detector lets soldiers see what an enemy drone is watching; Ukrainian fiber-optic drones can also hear enemy soldiers from 30 meters away.
Business Insider - Airborne signal repeaters relay commands from a pilot to a mission drone and return video and intelligence, extending the mission drone’s connected operating range.
Business Insider - Twist Robotics says the Saker Scout can extend drones’ operational range by more than 50 kilometers. Its Signal Hunter strike drone can also serve as a relay.
Business Insider - Russia’s front-line losses are attributed to drones at a rate of more than 95%.
Business Insider - TAF Industries’ Zinovskyi described relay technology as having shifted from optional to essential.
WHERE:
TechRadar - The startup is based in Kyiv.
Business Insider - The reporting concerns drone operations in Ukraine and Russian attacks into Ukrainian territory.
WHEN:
Business Insider - Twist Robotics began serial production of the Saker Scout with its relay function in 2023.
Business Insider - Zhluktenko said some repeater aircraft are optimized to remain airborne for “one hour plus.”
Business Insider - Olenchyn said Twist Robotics releases new updates, techniques, drones, or functions “every two weeks.”
WHY:
Business Insider - Ukraine uses repeaters to extend drone range, maintain stronger operator connections, and make links harder for Russian electronic warfare to disrupt; the relay drones themselves can still be targeted.
Business Insider - Olenchyn said the Saker Scout’s original range was “not enough” for many missions, prompting its redesign as a relay station.
HOW:
Business Insider - Airborne repeaters fly higher than ground antennas and act as intermediaries between operators and mission drones, strengthening communications across distance or difficult terrain.
Business Insider - Relay carriers include fixed-wing drones, repurposed bomber-type drones carrying repeaters instead of bombs, and drones fitted with add-on relay equipment.
Ukraine is rapidly expanding its use of airborne drone repeaters, which help pilots control aircraft over longer distances and maintain reliable video and intelligence links. Flying above ground antennas, these relay drones pass commands between operators and mission drones, including across difficult terrain. Twist Robotics has redesigned its Saker Scout as a relay station, with the company saying it can extend operational range by more than 50 kilometers. Other Ukrainian makers are adapting Wardog drones to carry relay equipment, while Skyriper produces a model dedicated to the task. TAF Industries began making repeaters at military units’ request, and its CEO says the technology has become essential. Ukraine uses the systems to strengthen communications and resist Russian electronic warfare, though relay drones can still be targeted. Russia also uses relay technology to help attack drones fly deeper into Ukraine.