Military drones repaired in the field: Ukraine approves mobile drone workshops

Ever more unmanned aerial vehicles in ever more variants are used on the battlefield. These military drones need repair and maintenance.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has now codified domestically produced mobile workshops for Ukrainian armed forces units and approved them for use. They are designed for the repair and maintenance of unmanned aerial systems and equipment.

Above all, they meet a need of Ukraine's defence forces: effective repair and restoration of a wide range of Ukrainian-made unmanned aerial systems directly on site.

The Main Directorate of Defence Innovation at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence acts as curator of the new development.

Lieutenant Colonel Yevhenii Tkachenko, who heads the directorate's department for unmanned aviation systems, commented: “Our forces have golden hands, but we also know that they are forced to repair aircraft in the field under difficult conditions. To make this process more convenient and efficient, we want to improve the craftsmen's working conditions. The new product will only reach the front if the wishes of its users are taken into account.”

Container workshop for military drones

The workshop is housed in a container that can be transported by truck. Heating, lighting, air conditioning and ventilation operate autonomously; in addition, there is a dedicated 11 kW power supply system, communications equipment and dual-band routers.

Inside are workstations for the craftsmen with the necessary shelves and containers. This allows drones to be repaired in any weather and practically anywhere in the country.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, several versions of the workshops are planned or already in use. The basic modification needs only the simplest tools. The full version, designated “Nebokray 01”, by contrast offers a wider range of equipment and special tools:

• Charging station, compressor and pulsed laboratory power supply
• Welding unit, soldering station and solder extractor
• Ultrasonic bath with liquid degassing function
• 3D printer and filament dryer
• Personal computers and wireless barcode scanners
• Grinding and engraving machines
• First-person view (FPV) monitor
• Radio-frequency signal power meter and further equipment

Mobile racks and shelves for tools and equipment are also installed. They can easily be dismantled and carried outside.

The cabin can also be divided into zones, so that areas with higher pollutant emissions can be separated off.