Photo: press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The world’s first strike companies of UAVs are being formed in Ukraine
Valery Zaluzhny gave the order to create an “Army of Drones”: strike companies of drones will appear in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Strike companies of unmanned aerial vehicles are being formed in the Ukrainian army. This was officially announced by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the military, such units are created for the first time in the world.
It is reported that the formation of UAV strike companies as part of the Defense Forces was accepted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny.
New kind of troops
The Armed Forces of Ukraine note that they have already selected commanders for such units. Everyone will have a certain set of tools to perform combat missions: drones, ammunition, Starlink and the like. Soldiers selected for drone strike companies will receive appropriate training. It will be held on the basis of the Boriveter military school, the command says.
It should be noted that the school’s profile on Facebook indicates that it has six areas of study. Among them are two courses related to the control of different types of drones.
“UAVs have proven their effectiveness at the front during aerial reconnaissance and artillery fire adjustment, and now – like loitering ammunition. The enemy is larger, we must be more effective, so technology is our advantage in the fight against the occupier. Companies of professional fighters will fight with drones, destroying hard-to-reach targets on the front line and beyond,” the military school said in a statement.
In order for the strike companies of drones to function without hindrance, a special Coordination Center has been created with key ministries and services – the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff, the State Service for Special Communications and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. He will work within the framework of the project Drone army.
UAV from Ukrainian manufacturers
Against the background of the creation of a new kind of troops in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense has already concluded 16 contracts with Ukrainian manufacturers of drones. The agency, taking into account the needs and requests of the Ukrainian army, this year will increase the purchase of UAVs for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and about 20 billion hryvnias have been allocated to this segment.
As noted in the message of the Ministry of Defense, all contracts with domestic manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles were signed at a meeting of representatives of the defense department and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In Ukraine, the procedure for allowing UAVs to be used in the army is now the easiest in Europe, the military noted. As a result, after the introduction of the new admission procedure, which previously lasted one and a half to two years, now it takes a few weeks.
In general, from November 2022 to January 2023, the Ministry of Defense received 75 applications from Ukrainian manufacturers for drones of various types.
According to Minister Alexei Reznikov, the defense department wants to develop not only the drone market for aerial reconnaissance, but also the market for drones with a wide range of applications – “air – ground – water”.
“This is about adjusting artillery, and about defeating the enemy (shock drones), and about delivering ammunition, evacuating the wounded, and so on,” the minister said.
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