According to the developers from Shield AI, V-BAT gave the Ukrainian Armed Forces a new opportunity for long-term observation and transmission of target data even in the conditions of countermeasures by enemy electronic warfare systems.
As the portal of the American publication The Wall Street Journal informs, in the conditions of active radio-electronic warfare (EW), which affects the results of operations, Ukrainian troops have found a reliable ally - V-BAT drones from Shield AI.
In August, when russian interference disabled reconnaissance drones in the area of Dnipro, it was the V-BATs that demonstrated the ability to successfully counter obstacles and perform complex missions, Defense One observers reported.
V-BAT drones are capable of vertical takeoff and do not require runways, making them less vulnerable to enemy detection and attack. With a flight range of up to 370 km and the ability to stay in the air for a long time - up to 11 hours - they give Ukrainian forces an important advantage in the form of long-term surveillance and reconnaissance.
The article states that during the tests V-BAT operated in conditions of strong obstacles - this was confirmed by the results of the report of the Ukrainian military. The drones flew at a distance of less than 1,000 meters from sources of interference, maintaining communication and control. These tests convinced skeptical Allies of the reliability of the system.
In one of the August raids, V-BAT discovered and identified a Buk air defense system, after which the data was transferred to Ukrainian artillery units, which led to a successful HIMARS strike on the russian complex. Brandon Tseng, president of Shield AI, emphasized that drones have provided the Ukrainian military with a new opportunity for long-term observation and transmission of target data, even in the face of anti-EW.
Analysts noted that success in the current conflict largely depends on the ability to quickly redeploy and maneuver. It is the V-BAT that provides such an advantage due to its compact size and the ability to take off vertically, which allows quick movement and performance of combat tasks.
As for the future of the unmanned system, according to Tseng, the next stage of development is the integration of missiles into the V-BAT.
"We have put into production a Northrop Grumman munition called the Hatchet, which is a laser-guided munition that will be released at the end of next year," Tseng said.
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