may 19, 2024 – Translated from Ukrainian via Google and OFP
Regardless of what tasks Ukrainian defenders perform – defending positions or going on the offensive – the Defense Forces constantly need a large number of drones. In addition to expensive and powerful UAVs, soldiers need FPV drones, which are a relatively cheap, but effective means of weapon. Among Ukrainian developments in this direction, “Molfar”, “Kolibri”, Shrike and others stand out.
Briefly about what is in the text:
- What are Shrike drones and how did they become known
- How many Shrike drones are manufactured in Ukraine
- American roots of Shrike drones
- Specifications of the Shrike drone
- What else should you know about Shrike?
What are Shrike drones and how did they become known
The name Shrike is translated from English as shrew. Thrushes are small birds from the sparrow family, weighing 25-100 g. Some of them impale their victims on the thorns of plants. In addition, the name Shrike was carried by a character in Dan Simmons’ epic fantasy novel “Songs of Hyperion”. It is a part-organic, part-mechanical creature that brutally kills anyone who comes into its possession.
In the fall of 2023, they started talking about “shrikes” in the mass media. Then the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov announced that more than 1,500 Shrike FPV drones were delivered to the Donetsk region. According to the minister, they were purchased at the expense of the state program “Army of Drones”.
“Copters will help our soldiers to hold the defense and effectively hit the positions and equipment of the Russians. The kamikaze drones are produced by a Ukrainian defense-tech startup. One drone costs only a few hundred dollars, but the results of the work will unpleasantly impress the occupiers and please us in the weekly reports from the shock companies.” – wrote Fedorov.
On the page of the government organization “Army of Drones” it was noted at the time that, although the “sparrows” cost only a few hundred dollars, the results of their work are impressive.
“Also, the Shrike kamikaze drones are fast and easy to use, they hit the target precisely, hitting the positions and equipment of the occupiers. So each of them will help the fighters turn even more of the equipment of the occupiers into scrap metal”, – wrote the “Army of Drones”.
How many Shrike drones are manufactured in Ukraine
Information about the scale of production of “shrikes” appeared in public access with the light hand of Josep Borrell. The high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy visited a classified enterprise for the production of drones for the military in Ukraine.
Photo: Josep Borrell
“Yesterday I had the opportunity to see with my own eyes Ukrainian ingenuity,” the “Military” portal quoted a European official as saying. Borrell also noted that, in his opinion, Ukraine has the potential to become a major technological center.
The company Borrell visited was able to produce hundreds of drones per day. And the published photos show that workers are actually assembling hundreds of Shrike FPV drones.
“Quadrocopters are manufactured within the framework of the “Army of Drones”, which provides for their systematic purchase, repair, as well as training courses for relevant specialists,” Militarny wrote.
In general, Ukraine stated that it plans to produce 1 million FPV drones in 2024.
American roots of Shrike drones
Although, according to official reports, the “shrike” is produced by a Ukrainian start-up, the drones were most likely developed in the United States. Drones with a similar name were presented by AeroVironment in 2011. This is the same company that produced Switchblade drones in California and delivered them to Ukraine.
Then the Americans presented the Shrike as a portable unmanned aerial vehicle with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL Mav). The device was developed by order of the US Joint Special Operations Command.
“It is a small, portable, reliable and rugged unmanned aerial platform designed for day and night reconnaissance, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) on the front,” the message read .
Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov.
“The Shrike is not only capable of hovering over objects with a high-resolution video camera for more than 40 minutes. Its latest technologies allow it to operate as a surveillance camera for several hours,” said Tom Herring, vice president and general manager of AeroVironment.
Although the Americans developed drones for ISR reconnaissance (from the English Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance – collection and processing of intelligence), there is nothing surprising in the fact that Fedorov speaks of “shrike” as strike drones. The same drones can be adapted to other combat tasks by changing the payload.
In any case, we are talking about FPV drones (from the English First person view). Drones are controlled through special glasses, and the operator sees video of the terrain from the drone in real time, as if the pilot were sitting inside. Such drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras, conduct high-quality reconnaissance. Or they are armed with explosives and they, fast and maneuverable, hit the equipment, even flying into windows or hatches.
Ukrainian “shrike” can be ordered online. Companies offer them for military units and units. The product is described as an FPV drone with target acquisition, autonomous flight mode and manual control. The specified production time is 10 days.
Specifications of the Shrike drone
Since the Ukrainians currently avoid publicizing the data of drones – “sparrows”, except for the price of several hundred dollars, it proves to focus on the characteristics of the drones
- Shrike from the American company AeroVironment.
- Length – 90 cm,
- Weight – 2.5 kg,
- Speed – 55 km/h,
- The radius of action is 5 km line of sight, with the possibility of retransmission to increase the radius,
- Duration of action – 40+ minutes
Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov.
What else should you know about Shrike?
In 2018, Shrike manufacturers announced plans to integrate Shrike 2 drones with Stryker armored vehicles. The Shrike 2 was supposed to save battery power, allowing it to stay in the air longer. At that time, this modification was still under development, so tests of the new system were carried out with the RQ-20 Puma and Switchblade.
During the tests, the system was installed on an armored repair and evacuation vehicle, adding one more person to the crew of the armored vehicle – an operator. Later, it was planned to abandon the individual operator by integrating the control system into the on-board equipment.
“The use of reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles on armored vehicles will significantly expand the awareness of crews. In addition, drones can be used to control the destruction of targets, as well as adjust fire,” FlightGlobal wrote.
Drones practically saved the Ukrainian army from being overrun while the maga gangsters held up aid to Ukraine and Europe drifts around aimlessly.
[…] In 2023, Minister of Digital Transformation and drone supremo Mykhailo Fedorov announced that more than 1,500 Shrike FPV drones had been ordered under his Army of Drones initiative. . A video from October 2023 […]