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The Ukrainian government has announced an official search for counter commercial and first-person view drone solutions.
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Government platform, Brave1, announced the development search to bring together innovative companies with ideas and developments that can be used in the defence of Ukraine.
Solutions and developers are being sought for counter FPV drone detection, physical destruction, active protection, influencing control protocols of open-source radio control and non-standard frequencies and firmware.
Solutions are also being sought for the detection of Chinese DJI and Autel drones, physical destruction of commercial drones, and mission disruption of DJI and Autel control protocols including firmware.
“Commercial and FPV drones have fundamentally changed approaches to modern warfare,” according to a statement from the Ukrainian organisers.
“Not only are we using these affordable solutions en masse to destroy multi-million dollar equipment, but so is the enemy. We need effective protection and countermeasures.
“(We can) assemble ready-made teams and individual developers to create effective counter-FPV and commercial drone solutions to repel enemy attacks.
“We are strengthening Ukraine’s technological capabilities together.”
FPV and commercial drones have already been used extensively in the conflict between Ukrainian and Russian forces in kamikaze attack and aerial reconnaissance roles.
First-person view drones, utilising a radio-controlled vehicle piloted from the driver or pilot’s viewpoint, have been used to direct attached guided explosive munitions to targets of opportunity such as light armoured vehicles, structures, and personnel.
Earlier this year in April, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence also encouraged domestic defence manufacturers to expand their business and foreign companies to localise their production in the European country.
“The Ministry of Defence must provide our troops with high-quality means of personal protection on time and in full. For that purpose, the Ministry’s Procurement Policy Department is working on improving procurement rules, which should lead to increased competition among suppliers of the Armed Forces,” according to MOD Procurement Policy Department head Hlib Kanievskyi.
“The Ministry of Defence is the largest investor in Ukraine in the defence-industrial complex. The ministry’s procurement agencies purchase non-lethal products and weapons worth tens of billions of hryvnias (national currency of Ukraine).
“Now is a chance for domestic manufacturers to expand their business and for foreign companies to localise their production in Ukraine.”
Earlier this year, the Australian government announced that more than 11 companies had signed contracts to provide a prototype of a drone or uncrewed aerial system for the Defence Sovereign UAS Challenge.
Aerial drones developed by Australian companies would be showcased as part of a federal government initiative aimed at supporting innovation and delivering capabilities for the Australian Defence Force.
Drones would be assessed on their ability for rapid production at scale and potential use by Defence and the Commonwealth.
