Polish FlyEye drones play crucial role in Kursk operation
Soldiers from the 47th Independent Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian army shared a recording of a successful attack they carried out in the Kursk region. A key role was played by Polish FlyEye drones, whose capabilities we revisit.
As the Ukrainians state, it was specifically one of the FlyEye drones that spotted the Russians and detected the enemy's Strela-10 air defence system. Subsequently, artillery fire was directed to the location indicated, resulting in the destruction of Russian equipment.
Successful Ukrainian attack near Kursk
"Using the FlyEye 3.0 unmanned aerial vehicle, our soldiers detected enemy equipment and adjusted the fire of the neighbouring unit. Thanks to precise artillery-missile strikes, the Strela was turned into another piece of scrap metal," said a brief statement issued by the Ukrainian brigade.
FlyEye is an unmanned aerial vehicle produced by the Polish company WB Electronics, developed primarily for reconnaissance tasks. It is among the most advanced types of equipment used in Europe and performs very well even under actual combat conditions, as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine.
Polish drones helped destroy more Russian equipment
FlyEye weighs 12 kilograms, and its wingspan is 3.7 metres. The drone can reach speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour and operate at altitudes of up to 3,500 metres. According to the manufacturer's claims, it has a maximum flight time of 2.5 hours.
Ukrainian soldiers often emphasise that a significant advantage of FlyEye is that its design is very difficult to detect by many standard radar systems. This is primarily due to the composite body and electric motor, which does not run continuously. When airborne, FlyEye often glides. An important feature of the FlyEye specification is its observation head with two cameras—a daylight camera with 30x zoom and a thermal imaging camera.
The Strela-10 is a short-range missile system. It is based on the amphibious MT-LB tracked vehicle chassis. With a 240-horsepower engine, it can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour on land and 6 kilometres per hour in water. It can engage targets moving at altitudes from 24 to 3,500 metres.
