Fibre-optic drones in series production: eleven Ukrainian companies master the technology

Ukraine is accelerating drone development and increasingly relying on control via fibre optics. Eleven domestic companies have now mastered this cutting-edge technology and are supplying fibre-optic drones in series production.

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the Ukrainian armed forces certified more than 20 new drone models with fibre-optic control systems. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this on Monday evening in his daily address.

Zelensky also underlined the strategic importance of this development in the war against Russia. He ordered that the contracts with the companies involved be geared to maximum production and delivery capacity.

Fibre-optic drones tested at Brave1

Most recently, Ukraine tested long-range FPV drones – drones flown from a first-person perspective (FPV, first-person view) – with fibre-optic control. The trials were organised by the defence technology cluster Brave1, supported by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Brigadier General Andriy Lebedenko, and by the Innovation Activities Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They took place at a dedicated training area.

More than 15 manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) put their developments to the test: they completed an obstacle course more than 20 kilometres long and simulated an approach to a target. Ukrainian developers presented solutions capable of hitting targets more than 20 kilometres away.

For a range of 10 to 15 kilometres, 10-inch drone frames are used; up to 20 kilometres requires a 15-inch frame.

Communicating via fibre optics, FPV drones can fly combat missions in which they are immune to radio jamming and cannot be located by signals intelligence. Drone pilots have high-quality digital video transmission at their disposal, and the radio horizon sets them no limits.

In addition, seven manufacturers of ground-based robotic systems, i.e. unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), carried out test runs with fibre-optic control at the event.

Captain Oleksandr Yabchanka, who was on site and heads the robotic systems of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, said: “Fibre-optic technology is a decisive factor in the confrontation between communications and electronic warfare, as it enables stable communication that is not affected by electromagnetic warfare.”

Zelensky also announced plans to expand Ukraine’s capacity to manufacture ground-based robotic systems (UGV). There is also positive momentum in “deep strikes”, he said.

He did not give specific figures. However, he stressed that the outlook for this year was promising and that the necessary volumes for the Ukrainian armed forces would be secured in the current year.