Ukraine tests home-made drones to replace the Mavic and will order the best ones

Ukraine's defence ministry and the Brave1 defence technology cluster have tested Ukrainian reconnaissance drones meant to replace the Mavic, the ministry says. The tests checked how well the drones resist electronic warfare, the quality of their video and data links, their flight time and other features that matter at the front.

Makers whose drones proved ready for combat are now moving on to contracts with the ministry to supply military units.

The ministry says the Mavic has been one of the main tools for tactical reconnaissance, but troops now need drones that stay in the air longer, fly further and keep working under heavy jamming. It wants drones that work without GPS, fly for at least 60 minutes, can be controlled from further away and have controls soldiers already know.