The US Army has tested long-range Ukrainian kamikaze drones used for strikes against Russia, The War Zone reports, citing the US Defense Innovation Unit.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that American defense startups have teamed up with Ukrainian manufacturers to create better drones for the US military. Ukrainian manufacturers mastered the serial production of drones despite limited resources and are now seeking new clients and investment.
As part of Project Artemis, aimed at developing a strike kamikaze drone, the US Army conducted tests of unidentified Ukrainian-made loitering munitions.
The names of the Ukrainian companies involved remain undisclosed, but according to the report, they highlight their achievements in cooperation with American companies Auterion and Swan, which are directly participating in the project.
One of the key requirements for development is a high level of protection against electronic warfare, a low price for mass deployment, and a range of up to 300 km, Militarnyi reports.
According to the US Defense Innovation Unit, approximately 165 proposals from many companies were reviewed, most of which involved prototypes that were subsequently tested.
Currently, at the new project stage, prototypes are to be developed by the end of 2025 according to the technical specifications defined by Project Artemis.
It is worth noting that most details about the project remain classified.
“The final Artemis capabilities will be ground-launched, affordable one-way UAS platforms that operate at ranges from 50-300 km+ (31-186+ miles), launch quickly and expeditiously, navigate at low altitudes, carry a variety of payloads, are rapidly updatable and upgradable, and functional in disrupted, disconnected, intermittent and low-bandwidth and Global Navigation Satellite System denied environments,” said the US Defense Innovation Unit.
A key feature of this platform is its ability to carry various payloads, which broadens the range of targets and reportedly allows the use of different seeker heads to complete a wide array of missions.
Additionally, this platform can be used for reconnaissance and as a decoy to overload enemy air defense systems.
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