Ukraine has ordered over 100 German-made drones. The unmanned aerial systems of a Bavarian start-up have artificial intelligence and are intended to support the Ukrainian armed forces in monitoring the enemy at the front.
Order worth millions for the Munich start-up Quantum-Systems: Ukraine has ordered 105 Vector reconnaissance drones from Bayern, as the company announced this week. Their task is to support the Ukrainian armed forces at the front by providing a situational picture and monitoring enemy artillery and troop movements with video recordings. In addition, the unmanned aerial systems, which look like small airplanes, are intended to assess combat damage and protect convoys. “The great advantage of drones is that they don’t endanger human life during reconnaissance,” said Hans-Lothar Domröse, former army general of the Bundeswehr, at the “Handelsblatt” conference “Security and Defense” in Berlin. Finally, thanks to the use of drones, the armed forces could operate from a distance.
At the same time, the new technology makes it possible to look “over hills, behind houses, around corners” and thus create a much better picture of the situation than before. Even with the drone you would remain as good as invisible: the missiles could hardly be detected by the enemy radar, the “Handelsblatt” quoted the retired general as saying. The agreement also includes Quantum-Systems training the Ukrainian armed forces and providing on-site technical support. The order value is said to be around 20 million euros, the federal government is financing the delivery.
Ukraine places second drone order with Quantum Systems
It is the second major order from Ukraine for Quantum Systems. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense placed the first order for the delivery of the same model in August 2022. At that time, the drone manufacturer delivered 33 drones for use in the war. “Thanks to its robust and resistant construction, it is ideally suited for use in challenging environments and extreme weather conditions,” says the company, which was founded in 2015 as a start-up and includes Thiel Capital, an investment company of the German-American tech Investors and Paypal founder Peter Thiel, as financier.
In the meantime, Quantum-Systems has revised the Vector. The drone can take off and land vertically and has received a new software update. The manufacturer promises use in areas with disturbed GPS data. In addition, the unmanned flight system has electro-optical and infrared sensors, which should make it possible to use it both during the day and at night. The system is equipped with artificial intelligence functions and transmits videos in real time via encrypted data connections. The specified flight time of the drone is a maximum of 120 minutes.
Sources: Quantum Systems, Handelsblatt
