Ukrainian artillery lauds Polish FlyEye drones' battlefield prowess
The commander of the Ukrainian unmanned subunit in the 26th Artillery Brigade praises the FlyEye drone's performance acquired from Poland and the quality of technical support from the WB Group. We present the performance of this design and highlight the aspects that the Ukrainian commander values.
The Ukrainian commander of the unmanned subunit in the 26th Artillery Brigade commends the Polish FlyEye drone in an interview.
The model in question is an older third variant, which remains effective thanks to updates introduced by the WB Group. The Ukrainian commander praises the Polish manufacturer for addressing issues by implementing improvements and incorporating Ukrainian requirements.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian commander appreciates the presence of two cameras, a daytime and a thermal one, housed in a single head. This allows for uninterrupted observation both day and night, unlike, for example, the Orlans that require changing observation heads depending on the time of day.
Jackson also commends the stabilisation and image quality from the FlyEye's observation head, noting that its only competitor is the American Puma drones from AeroVironment, which also produces drones like the Switchblade. Interestingly, the Ukrainian mentions that FlyEye drones have up to 90x zoom, although this is most likely digital since earlier reports mentioned using a head with 30x optical zoom in the drones.
FlyEye drones — effective eyes for artillery from Poland
Polish FlyEye drones are characterised by a wingspan of 12 feet and a take-off weight of 26 pounds. Thanks to their small size, composite construction, and special flight algorithms, they effectively avoid detection by typical air defence radars, which often incorrectly identify them as birds. Moreover, FlyEye often flies in gliding mode, which reduces the thermal signature since the electric motor operates intermittently rather than continuously.
These features, combined with the capability to operate in conditions with communication and satellite navigation disruptions, enable them to effectively locate important targets both day and night for barrel or rocket artillery. The aforementioned optoelectronic head carries out target detection.
Additionally, FlyEye is equipped with batteries that allow for flights of over 2.5 hours at altitudes of up to 11,500 feet. The drones can communicate via radio over a distance of 112 miles, which is an additional advantage.
The modular design of FlyEye also allows for a wide range of applications, from reconnaissance to material transport or acting as "flying routers" to strengthen the control signal of other drones. Users also praise the ease and speed of assembly and disassembly, which takes less than 10 minutes, and the ability to launch the drone by hand.
It is also noteworthy that FlyEye is the only advanced Polish military product included in the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) offer, demonstrating its exceptional capabilities and versatility.
