Ukraine is buying the strike drones that Russian jamming cannot touch, and for the first time, to a common standard. The Defense Procurement Agency (DOT) has announced its first purchase of fiber-optic FPV kamikaze drones built to specifications defined by the Defense Ministry, the ministry announced.
By defining the specifications a fiber-optic FPV must meet, the Defense Ministry lets any maker compete by hitting that standard rather than having each model approved individually.
That is what makes it possible to split the purchase into competing lots among many suppliers, both large and mid-sized, and to buy the jam-proof drones at scale without relying on any single producer.
Why fiber-optic drones matter
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is looking for a specific type of drone. They use a fiber-optic cable to connect to the operator, and unlike ordinary FPV drones that need a radio signal for control and video, these fiber-optic drones do not depend on the radio channel, so they work far better in the presence of active electronic warfare.
Fiber-optic drones let an operator keep control where radio-controlled drones lose their signal, and Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara said the drones give Ukraine's forces added ability to disrupt Russian assaults and conduct their own operations, striking enemy manpower.
The standard opens the field to any maker
The buy is not tailored to one producer. It is not conducted for a specific manufacturer or model, and producers can offer their own drones if they meet the defined characteristics, with the drones sorted into classes by parameters such as range (the length of the fiber-optic cable) and camera type.
The lot structure spreads the orders
Deputy Defense Minister Mstyslav Banik said the tender is structured so that various suppliers can participate. Each tender is divided into lots, with four lots per class of fiber-optic FPVs, and no participant may win more than 50% of a class's total volume.
That structure guards supply while also driving competition.
"This creates an environment for healthy competition among manufacturers, and at the same time minimizes the risks of supply disruptions," Banik added.
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