Ukraine is testing a dangerous new strategic strike drone that could prove to be a tough nemesis for all those who oppose it on the battlefield. Here’s what we know and how the drone is already making waves on the frontlines.
On February 5th, Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Federov posted a message to his official Telegram channel revealing that Ukraine had started testing the new Shoolika mk6 drone by Skylabs US as part of the Brave1 initiative.
“The Defense Forces have already tested the Shoolika mk6 and offered their feedback: the drone is important for tactical operations, especially at night,” Federov explained to his followers according to a translation by Militaryni.
Brave1 is a government platform that brings together innovative companies with Ukrianian defense ideas in order to create the new types of weapons the country needs to fend off Russia and boost Ukraine’s military capabilities.
The program has proven to be quite successful and the development of the Shoolika mk6 is a good example of the new technology being developed as a part of Ukriane’s Brave1 initiative.
Federov explained that the Shoolika mk6 can deliver precision strikes and has proven to be particularly useful in night attacks, adding the drone had a top-of-the-line night vision system. But that isn’t the drone’s only new feature.
The Shoolika mk6 has a range that reaches upwards of 10 kilometers or 6.21 miles and it can carry a 6-kilogram or a 13.2-pound payload to its target. That may not sound like a lot but it is more than enough to do serious damage.
Militaryni reported that the Shoolika mk6 drone has a “four-section hardpoint section for shaped PTAB-type ammunition,” which is a type of anti-tank bomb used against tanks and other armored vehicles and equipment.
What makes the Shoolika mk6 really dangerous is its high-precision control system and its resistance against electronic warfare. However, further details about these aspects weren’t revealed by Federov in his Telegram post.
The Shoolika mk6 is currently going through its NATO codification and there are plans to improve the powerful drone with artificial intelligence for use in autonomous missions and to improve its cameras to better seek its targets.
Developer Skylab UA called the Shoolika mk6 “a multifunctional combat asset poised to turn every military operation into a success with minimal human risk” and added that the drone was “the future of aerial support.”
Militaryni reported that Skylab UA takes about three weeks to produce 10 Shoolika mk6 drones, a period of time that not only includes their assembly but also their firmware, calibration, testing, and packaging.
The average Shoolika mk6 costs somewhere between $25-30 thousand dollars but in January 2024 Skylab UA announced a price reduction in the cost of the Shoolika mk6, though no prices were listed by the company.
The Shoolika mk6 was created as a result of the Brave1, an initiative that was launched by six Ukrainian government departments in April 2023 to foster cooperation between technology companies and the defense industry.
“Ukraine should become a country that rapidly develops, learns, and actively uses technology. The creation of BRAVE1 is one of the important steps in this direction,” Federov explained when the program was launched according to a press release.
“Our goal is to build a system for the rapid launch of defence tech projects. To take bold decisions and create the best conditions for the development of companies developing military technologies,” Federov added. “Technology and courage can do a lot for our victory.”
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