Ukrainian startup Skyassis has created a serial reconnaissance drone, Sirko, and is also preparing to release an attack drone and an interceptor drone.

“First, we identified the most urgent needs of the frontline. We decided that aerial reconnaissance is exactly what will help save the lives of our soldiers and see the enemy wherever he is hiding. Based on this, we formed the terms of reference. We had to develop an invisible (radio-transparent) UAV of minimal size, easy to use. It should conduct aerial reconnaissance and adjust fire at a depth of 25-30 km. At the same time, the cost of the product should be the lowest in its class,” said co-founder Igor Krynychko.

The drone flies over enemy positions in complete radio silence, without radiation. During the mission, everything the scout “sees” is recorded.

“In the first version, a prototype was created based on a Chinese wing and a hand-made fuselage. Its tests confirmed the correctness of the chosen form factor and layout ideology. Of course, the prototype was far from a production model in terms of its characteristics. However, it performed its task,” says Krynychko.

The first version was followed by the second. In the process of calculations, we eliminated all aerodynamic shortcomings and chose the material from which the device would be made. Next, we created a 3D model. Special software checked how the drone would behave in different conditions and in the wind. We improved the drone again and created the final 3D model.

“In my opinion, the design bureau’s specialists have developed an almost perfect aircraft layout. They managed to optimally design the compartments for onboard equipment and the logic of all systems. Thus, we were able to place all the necessary devices for aerial reconnaissance in a small form factor. We chose the path of narrow product specialisation. Unlike universal platforms, this allows us to achieve the highest quality of task performance,” says Krynychko.

The third version of the UAV, called Sirko, went into mass production. It has the following characteristics:

• The wingspan is 0.9 m.
• Weight – 1.5 kg.
• Operating altitude – 200 – 300 m.
• Flight duration – 50 – 70 minutes.
• The route length is up to 100 km.
• Video communication with the operator – up to 30 km.
• Temperature range – from -20 deg C to +45 deg C.

“Sirko can climb to an altitude of 1000-1200 km. But we chose a working one: 200 to 300 metres. This is possible due to the UAV’s minimal size. Working at this altitude allows us to use lighter optics while maintaining quality. In addition, it made it possible to work in heavy cloud cover. The device flies under the clouds while remaining invisible,” says the developer.

Drone perks:

Low noise – thanks to the electric motor, the drone is almost inaudible at working altitude.

Radio stealth – the drone is made of 90% polymer radio-transparent materials. This, together with its small size, makes it difficult to detect through radar.

Videolink at 25 km – The UAV transmits a streaming digital encoded telemetry signal and an analogue encoded signal from the camera to the ground station. The video goes to any device or simultaneously to two devices (laptop, tablet, smartphone).

Silent mode – capable of conducting reconnaissance without any emissions. The operator simply sets the route. Then reconnaissance is carried out with recording of video stream with current coordinates on the onboard device.

Inertial control system – if the connection to the base is lost, it will return to the previously determined landing point. Also the drone can continue to go further points and fulfil the mission.

Convenient packing – the drone with “accessories” fits into a special backpack bag weighing up to 3kg and measuring 1.0 x 0.6 metres. This allows it to be deployed very quickly. For example, other drones take 20-30 minutes to deploy, while Sirko’s deployment takes 3-4 minutes. The drone is launched by hand.

Remote ground antenna – it can be positioned up to 120 metres away from the operator. This is done for the safety of the military. If REBs find the source of the signal, the enemy will strike the active antenna, not the military position.

Improved video transmission at dusk – Sirko doesn’t have a thermal imager. The company explains that it’s not needed. If you fly over a wooded area, you can’t see anything because of the thermal imager. And the Russian military know how to fight it, for example, they can open an “umbrella”. That is why they have developed special software for the drone with a light-sensitive camera. Together with it, the optical equipment makes it possible to obtain a sufficiently high-quality image even at dusk or in fog.

The drone itself costs $3000, and in a set with a ground station $4000. They invested not only their own money in the project, but also friends from the USA, Estonia, Ukraine, etc. The total amount of investment is about UAH 5 million.

Skyassist is currently focused on completing the documentation of tests in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. The company is considering investment opportunities to scale production. The largest additional funding is needed to import electronic components.

There are four other products in development:

• Potai, an invisible communications device;
• Bdzhola micro-UAV for special missions;
• Faino UAV interceptor;
• Attack drone.