A million drones for the Armed Forces: How to fulfill the Zelensky plan in 2024

The President of Ukraine promises to meet the needs of the front in the drone and approach the millionth. To fulfill such an ambitious plan, it is not enough to adjust only the purchase of components and put people near the machines. Focus found out what difficulties await Ukrainian manufacturers. Drones-Kamikadze has long turned into one of the main weapons in the war zone. Demand for drones does not fade, they are always needed in "here and now" mode.

The needs of the front are often closed by Ukrainian large and small enterprises, but in the conditions of rocket strikes of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in cities it is extremely difficult to work, so the workshops are dispersed. Drones are actively purchasing charity funds, volunteers and within the framework of the State Drone Army. Western partners are rescued with UAV supplies. Ukraine boasts its own drones that affect goals up to 1,000 kilometers, including Moscow.

According to the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mikhail Fedorov, during the war with Russia, Ukraine showed a real jump in its own production of drones. At the beginning of a full-scale invasion, only Turkish vaugactags were, and by the summer of 2023, 28 UAV models were adopted, 9 of which were Dronov-Kamikadze. Recently, a new Dron Kamikadze AQ 400 Scythe ("braid"), an analogue of Iranian Shahd, was presented.

The stock of the device reaches 900 kilometers, its price in the base configuration is about $ 15,000. The military command sets ambitious targets for 2024. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky at the final press conference in Kiev on December 19 stated that the Armed Forces units should receive a million Ukrainian drones. In addition, it is necessary to develop infrastructure for the preparation of drone operators and the creation of such special units in the Armed Forces.

"There should be drone management infrastructure. The best, not the Soviet, but very, very simple to use very quickly," the Commander-in-Chief said. The President emphasizes the need to combat bureaucracy in logistics processes. For this reason, 26,000 drones did not reach the front. "There can be no such pauses . . . I'm just shocked as you may not get what we produce. But we will overcome it. Our brigades will receive domestic drones. In terms of production - a million drones next year we will make.

And it was, "he promised. The norm is set by the President of Ukraine, but now there are a number of difficulties. The main problem, according to the head of Skyton UAV production company Andrei Fialkovsky, is to bring components. "Most likely, the stated million drones will be collected from Chinese parts. If China again restricts the export of UAV goods and civilian drones of the long -range radius, as it was in August, we will have big problems," - comments a specialist of focus.

Most components will have to be ordered in advance, since the state contracts are concluded with execution of 3-4 months. And if you order components in Europe or the US, the cost of UAVs will increase many times over. The process of proper logistics and work of domestic Ukrainian state bodies is important so that they do not block deliveries to Ukraine, says Fialkovsky. Another problem is the availability of qualified engineers, many of whom went abroad or went to fight.

In general, ordinary workers for a massive assembly are easy to find. Ukrainian military, founder of the A. Drones project, Yuri Kasyanov considers otherwise: those who really know how to work with their hands are needed to achieve presidential plans. Therefore, you will have to expand your reservation at defense enterprises and take people from the front. Also, the volumes of equipment, free shops and their security are sounded.

When it comes to small FPVs from Chinese spare parts, the price of which does not exceed $ 600, the Zelensky plan can be fulfilled, says Yuri Kasyanov Focus. Having made mathematical calculations, it turns out that a month you need to make about 100 thousand UAVs. Up to 10 people have up to 500 drones every month in the state. One person will collect a day up to five devices. The money for the production of a million FPV drones is enough.

But Zelensky could also refer to Kopters flying at long distances with explosives weighing up to 50 kilograms. With such a schedule, it will be more difficult to perform these volumes. Budgets for large farm drones-Kamikadze start from $ 50,000 apiece. "Here we count: ten drones are half a million, and 1000 pieces - $ 50 million. With Western aid, the amount is lifted, but it is provided that it comes to us," the expert sums up.