Beskrestnov: Creating a fast interceptor drone is just the beginning; making a serial product is harder

Ukrainian development of countermeasures against jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles has reached a stage where the experimental model demonstrates a working flight. However, according to a military expert, this is only the first step towards combat application.

From prototype to serial product

Serhiy Beskrestnov (callsign "Flash"), the President's adviser on the development of defence technology areas, emphasised that the ability of the device to move quickly is a necessary but insufficient condition for success. The main difficulty lies in turning this capability into a user-friendly, mass-produced product.

«Зробити модель, яка швидко літає, – це одна тільки частина, а зробити серійний виріб, який буде дуже легкий у використанні, – це абсолютно інше питання» (Making a model that flies fast is just one part, while making a serial product that is very easy to use is a completely different matter), the expert noted in a conversation with journalists.

Technical challenges of scaling

The next key task for developers became the improvement of control, guidance, and automatic target acquisition systems. An important requirement is ensuring the simplicity of operating the technology by different crews, as well as preparing for scaling.

Beskrestnov acknowledged that additional technical obstacles emerged during the work on the system, to which the team was not fully prepared. This concerns not only the operational capability of the device but also its convenience for practical application and readiness for mass production.

Currently, the Ukrainian side has a working solution that demonstrates the possibility of flight. However, for full-scale deployment, it is necessary to complete the refinement of a number of technical aspects.