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Ukraine Drone Risk: Remote Pilots Safe, Ground Crews Exposed
Ukraine's drone operators fly from hundreds of miles away, but ground crews still face the front. Wild Hornets tech shows the gap. Defense sector risk explained.
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Ukraine's drone operators fly missions from hundreds of miles away using satellite connections. The makers of the tech say it protects pilots who are top Russian targets. Ground support crews still transport and launch the drones near the front lines. The human support tail remains exposed to front-line danger.
Wild Hornets, a Ukrainian drone maker, developed the satellite-control technology for its interceptor drones. The company told Business Insider that ground forces still transport and prepare the aircraft. Dmytro "Liber" Zhluktenko, a former drone operator who now serves as a lessons-learned analyst with Ukraine's 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment "RAID," said the satellite connection removes the pilot from the launch point. "But this doesn't remove the need for the ground groups, people who actually attach the explosive, put the drone outside of the bunker, et cetera," he said.
With satellite communications for combat drone operations, "we are able to put our pilots in any place when there is a stable internet connection for them," Zhluktenko said.
Russia treats drone operators as priority targets, Zhluktenko and other military officials said. Ukraine's drones destroy more Russian targets than any other weapon. One operator can fly repeated missions to collect intelligence and launch attacks. The remote piloting technology protects these force multipliers. The ground support tail remains a bottleneck. Troops must unload the drones, assemble them, attach explosives and communications gear, and position them for launch.
On missions using radio frequency connections, operators generally need to remain closer to their drones. Units try to move operators farther back when possible, Zhluktenko said, even at the expense of capabilities. "The first principle, the first rule, is the safety of them, but it's a very tough balance. We want to keep them extremely safe, but, at the same time, there is some work to be done."