Unmanned Systems Forces
Sil Bezpilotnih Sistem

One million drones by 2024 - such plans were announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky at the final press conference in December 2023. This number corresponds to the trends at the front. Every day only volunteers announce collections for 5,000, 10,000, and sometimes even 20,000 FPV drones. We visited the front lines and talked to the pilots of attack drones to find out if drones are really that effective and if there are enough of them produced in Ukraine.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 06 February 2024, signed Decree No. 51/2024 "On increasing the capabilities of the Defense Forces". It is about the creation of unmanned troops in the structure of the Armed Forces. "In order to increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding the use of unmanned and robotic air, sea and ground systems, to ensure the readiness for the use of such systems as intended, I decree: the Cabinet of Ministers with the involvement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to work out the issue of creating unmanned systems in the structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a separate type of force and based on the results of the study, submit appropriate proposals for consideration by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine," the decree of the head of state reads. The decree entered into force from the day of its publication.

In his address, Zelenskyi explained that this decree initiates the creation of a separate type of force in the Ukrainian Defense Forces - the Unmanned Systems Forces. "And this is not a question of the future - this is something that should give a very concrete result already in the near future. This year should become decisive in many aspects. And, obviously - on the battlefield. Drones - unmanned systems - have proven their effectiveness in battles on the ground , in the sky and in the sea. Ukraine has really changed the security situation in the Black Sea thanks to drones. Repelling assaults on the ground is largely the work of drones. Large-scale destruction of the invaders and their equipment is also drones," the president said.

According to him, currently the list of tasks is clearly defined. "Special full-time positions for work with drones, special units, effective training, systematization of experience, constant scaling of production and attracting the best ideas, the best specialists in this field. This is a task for the army, and for the Ministry of Defense and the government in general. And to give the necessary coordination in the Defense Forces, to ensure the proper level of planning and the quality of logistics, the Unmanned Systems Forces will be created within the structure of the Armed Forces. The corresponding proposals will be submitted to the NSDC for consideration," he explained.

The existing Central Directorate of Unmanned Systems of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a structural subdivision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which is designed to organize the planning of the development of the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding the use of unmanned and robotic air, ground and sea systems (hereinafter referred to as unmanned systems ), control over the state of readiness of military units (subunits) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which use unmanned systems, to fulfill their assigned tasks, strategic planning and coordination of use.

The main tasks of the Central Administration:

• planning, coordination and control of events in the Armed Forces of Ukraine aimed at developing capabilities using unmanned systems in operations (actions);
• organization of training of directly subordinate military units, as well as direction, control and coordination of training of other military units and units of unmanned systems as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to perform assigned tasks;
• organization of collection, analysis, implementation and dissemination of experience in training and application of military units under direct command, as
• well as other military units and units of unmanned systems within the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• participation in the strategic planning of the use of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the direction of unmanned systems;
• monitoring the state of readiness of directly subordinate military units, as well as other military units and units of unmanned systems within the Armed Forces of Ukraine to perform tasks as assigned, coordination and control of their use at the strategic level.

Unmanned systems are the main factor in changing the strategy and methods of using troops - this is stated in a new column by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, published on the website of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 01 February 2024. "Unmanned systems, along with other new types of weapons, are almost the only tool for getting out of positional military operations, which are time-consuming for Ukraine for a number of reasons," writes Zaluzhny.

He also names other factors that encourage the search for new forms of use of the Defense Forces. Some of them:

• the political situation abroad, which leads to a reduction in military support
• the probability of Russia provoking new conflicts in the world following the example of Israel or Yemen
• depletion of defense reserves of Ukraine's partners
• Russia's advantage in mobilization resources and "the inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the state of the Defense Forces' staffing without using unpopular measures"

Zaluzhny lists ways to increase the impact of drones and other modern systems on the effectiveness of combat operations. In particular, this can be facilitated by raising the awareness of commanders, round-the-clock provision of strikes both on the objects of the Russian army on the front edge of the front, and in the rear. He also gives a list of problems in the conduct of hostilities that can be solved by the use of unmanned systems:

• increasing contactlessness, which can reduce the level of losses
• reducing the use of traditional means of destruction and limiting the use of heavy equipment
• the possibility of hitting the facilities of the Russian army at sea and on the coast, despite the lack of a naval base in Ukraine
• the task of "massive surprise strikes" on Russian critical infrastructure and communications without the use of expensive missiles and manned aircraft

Since the Russian army will also try to seize the initiative, writes Zaluzhny, the Defense Forces must "create a completely new state system of technological rearmament." The commander-in-chief assessed "The creation of such a system with the necessary volume of production can last up to five months. The specified term is due to the need to create appropriate organizational structures and their staffing, personnel training, resource provision, creation of the necessary infrastructure, logistics, and development of a doctrinal base".

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal said on February 1 that the government has adopted three resolutions on the operation of the defense-industrial complex, which relate to procurement, ammunition production and pricing for drone production. "We are expanding the experimental project on the production of ammunition for drones to the production of all types of ammunition and are improving the procedure for registering manufacturers. New enterprises will be able to start work quickly."

Another resolution concerns the pricing of drone production. It stipulates that drone manufacturers will provide downward revisions to price calculations if margins exceed 25%. The Prime Minister hopes that this will make it possible to eliminate the risks of overpayment and misuse of funds during state purchases of drones.

Order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine No. 661 establishes the following classification of unmanned aerial vehicles of unmanned aviation complexes (hereinafter - BpLA BpAK). They exist by class: light, medium and heavy. In addition, each of these classes is also divided into subgroups. According to the purpose of the BpLA, the BpAK are classified as combat, reconnaissance, and shock; BpLA BpAK reconnaissance and targeting and electronic warfare. In addition, there are UAVs - aircraft interceptors and combat UAVs BpAK, which can have a combined purpose. There are also special BpLA BpAK - designed to perform special tasks, as well as to observe and monitor objects, territory, etc. In addition, there is a classification by type, location of base, method of take-off and landing, and type of flight control system.

Unmanned aerial vehicles or aircraft (UAV or BPS) are among the three most important needs for the Ukrainian security and defense forces, including the Armed Forces, the police, the National Guard, the Security Service and the State Border Service. It is drones that technologically strengthen our military at the front and enable us to gain an advantage over the enemy. The main role of UAVs is to provide reconnaissance, as well as destroy enemy manpower, their vehicles, armored vehicles, shelters and firing points. In addition, they have a variety of applications, including round-the-clock patrolling, delivery of goods to hard-to-reach areas, security of facilities, adjustment of artillery fire, aerial reconnaissance, acquisition of up-to-date spatial data, radio-electronic reconnaissance and for communications signals. These UAVs are capable of providing valuable information and support for the effective planning and execution of law enforcement agencies' operations.

Drones have already allowed the Defense Forces to inflict "critical losses" on the Russian fleet and hit the manpower and equipment of the Russian army, Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Pavlyuk said on February 7. According to him, the creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces within the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirms that the military "understands the importance of these technologies."

"New organizational opportunities will allow not only to create special full-time positions for working with drones. These will be new units, as well as a system of accumulation, evaluation, exchange of experience and preparation for the use of drones," Pavlyuk explained.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology — Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, called Zelensky's decree a "historic decision." Fedorov said "The potential of drones is extremely large. The decision to create unmanned troops will be a powerful impetus to the technological and innovative development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine". The minister reminded that last year the Armed Forces created companies of strike drones at the level of brigades.

"From the first day, we participated in their development: we developed a structural organization, application doctrine, trained, provided with various types of drones, digitized their work and interaction. During this time, drones have fundamentally changed the situation on the battlefield. They effectively stop Russian attacks and support a counteroffensive The Defense Forces of Ukraine. The absolute majority of equipment is struck by drones," says Fedorov's Telegram post.

The FPV (First Person View) drones were developed for civilian filming, but thanks to maneuverability, speed and the ability to track the flight path, they began to be used by the military to destroy personnel and equipment. For this, ammunition is attached to the drone itself. Others are "night bombers" - large drones (hexacopters, usually used in agriculture) that carry ammunition weighing more than 10 kg. The Russians nicknamed this drone 'Baba Yaga". It is a very high-priority target for them. They do not spare anything. For shooting down such a drone in the direction of Bakhmut the Russians were given 30 days of vacation as a reward.

The Russians use electronic warfare (EW) systems against FPV drones. The Bakhmut direction is one of the most saturated with EW systems of the dome type. They protect positions or equipment with radio-electronic waves like a dome. When the FPV drone flies up, it may lose the signal and fall several tens of meters from the target.

In order to defeat Russian EW, the Ukrainian military installs more powerful transmitters, or antennas, on drones. This makes the drone more expensive. For example, if the FPV itself costs an average of 500 dollars, then a more powerful antenna costs 150-200 dollars. And for drones that are capable of flying behind enemy lines, i.e. at a distance of more than 10 km, the price of EW-protected antennas can reach $12,000.

According to the Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine produced 50,000 FPV drones only in December of last year. This figure, takes into account both private and state manufacturers. The state buys only a certain part of them, the rest is bought by volunteers. In almost a year of existence, the company UBpAK "Achilles" 92nd OShBr, Donetsk region, received about 250 FPV drones from the state, says company commander Yuriy Fedorenko, and only uses about 20 per day. However, Fedorenko notes, there are positive developments - according to him, in March of last year, 80% of drones "Achilles" was provided by volunteers, not by the state. Now the ratio has changed — 60% versus 40%. Also, all "night bombers" of the company were provided by the state.

For the introduction of a state drone or ammunition, it must be licensed. If this copter explodes, a specific official will be tried. Therefore, in most cases, it is easier for people not to use additional opportunities, not to go beyond the scope of their authority, than to bear responsibility later.

By early 2024 there were more than 50 manufacturers of ammunition for drones in Ukraine - both state and private. They are capable of producing ammunition weighing from 300 g to 10 kg. Also, the government opened the market for ammunition for UAVs in Ukraine - it is, in particular, about the legislative framework for manufacturers and the standardization of technical requirements. There are a number of enterprises that have made good samples. They have passed tests and have been approved for use by the Defense Forces, but the Ministry of Defense has not yet purchased them in sufficient quantities.

The doctrine "Application of Unmanned Systems in the Defense Forces of Ukraine” [dated 01/01/24 signed by Zaluzhny] is decisive in the list of military publications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The experience of using unmanned systems during military operations was taken into account. It establishes the terminology, scope and principles of the use of unmanned systems, their classification and purpose, the standard organization and tasks of military units and subunits using unmanned systems, the basics of managing the use of unmanned systems, as well as the forms and methods of their use during operations (combat actions) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other components of the Ukrainian defense forces.

During the 08 October 2021 round table on the topic "Introduction of innovative technologies in the field of defense using the example of robotic complexes and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)" in "Ukrinform" with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Defense, specialized units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, state and private enterprises, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Colonel Volodymyr Koval of the Forces of Ukraine said that starting from 2014, a complex of studies was conducted, as a result of which a system of management and training of external operators of robotic complexes of the 1st and 2nd class was built.

"Military universities in Zhytomyr and Kharkiv are engaged in the training system for cadets, where there are appropriate training methods and programs, and training systems are being developed. Operators are trained by the 190th training center in the village of Guiva, said Colonel Volodymyr Koval. — There are no major problems in this matter, there are certain shortcomings that are being eliminated, but it is worth remembering subjective factors, such as staff turnover, change in mentality."

According to him, in the context of the application of promising models, two scientific research works were ordered in the year before last, which outlined the legal aspects of the application of promising robotic systems. By the end of the year, this work should be completed, and on the basis of this, appropriate changes to the statutes and legislation will be prepared, because the joint use of traditional and high-tech weapons must be supported by something.

Also, Colonel Volodymyr Koval said that the State Research Institute for Testing and Certification of Weapons and Military Equipment is the only institution that works out instructions for the flight operation of UAVs.

"An unmanned aerial vehicle is the same vessel as a traditional aircraft, so it cannot be deployed without these instructions. All the problematic issues that were voiced will be reflected in the Doctrine of unmanned aircraft complexes, which we plan to complete by the end of this year. It will become the basis for working out combat statutes, instructions and other legal documents, concluded the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

The creation of the Unmanned Systems Forces as an independent type of force within the Armed Forces is a confirmation that the Ministry of Defense understands the importance of these technologies and is ready to properly use all the advantages of unmanned means. This was emphasized 07 February 2024 by First Deputy Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavlyuk.

"The use of unmanned systems as a means of reconnaissance and defeating the enemy on land, in the air and at sea is a real revolution in the conduct of military operations. Drones have proven their undeniable effectiveness and importance in modern warfare. Defense forces have already inflicted critical losses on the enemy fleet; every day, they destroy the enemy's manpower and equipment in significant quantities - precisely thanks to drones ," Oleksandr Pavlyuk noted.

The new organizational capabilities, the lieutenant general added, will allow not only the creation of special full-time positions to work with drones - these will be new divisions, as well as a system of accumulation, evaluation, exchange of experience and training for the use of drones. It is also important that there are opportunities to fully scale the production of drones and direct them to the military. " Ukraine has not only technologies, but also significant prospects to implement its own tasks on the battlefield precisely thanks to the involvement of unmanned technologies ," - concluded the First Deputy Minister of Defense.

Some are not sure if this is a good idea. A separate branch of the military means the formation of new military units, the formation of command, the formation of relevant DOCUMENTATION and LITERATURE (manuals, regulations, etc. ), the formation of material and technical support, and so you can write for a long time. Formed UAV units as part of crews/platoons/companies will be assigned to other units, which is not a good idea. The most banal thing is simply because the command of the unit to whom the UAV units will be assigned will not care about the assigned personnel. The right solution has already existed for a long time: formed platoons/companies of UAVs in the troops. But UAVs are not allowed in formed platoons/companies; it is necessary to expand the staff of these units, dividing the company/platoon into a reconnaissance strike complex.