Summary of "Strix Air: відновлюємо браковані дрони, власний зенітний БПЛА та оптоволокно"

Overview — key problems

Two main categories of issues with FPV drones arriving from military warehouses:
1. Poor technical quality — cheap or unstable components (bad VTX, flight stacks, frames, etc.) and high batch variability from some suppliers.
2. Obsolescence / mismatch — outdated frequencies, firmware, and control/video bands that do not match a unit’s operational direction.
These issues drive a significant after-market rework/remanufacturing effort to make drones combat-ready.

Remanufacturing / workshop work

Typical rework actions: - Replace flight controller (flight stack). - Swap video transmitters (VTX) and change antennas. - Replace control modules/receivers. - Reconfigure boards and rebuild frames/bodies.

Examples and throughput: - Replacing flight stack and VTX resolved previously “mystery” failures in volunteer-unit boards. - A ~30-person shop can process up to ~5,000 drones/month when boards are uniform; mixed batches (“solyanka”) reduce throughput to ~1,500/month. - Rework cost per drone: roughly 600–7,000 UAH depending on required repairs. - Funding mainly comes from charitable foundations (e.g., Stranenko community) and some unit budgets; state procurement rarely finances component-level modernization reliably.

Localization and components market

Growing Ukrainian presence in components: video transmitters (Ukrainian and Chinese variants), control modules/flight controllers, daytime & thermal cameras (Ukrainian thermal cameras getting positive reviews), aluminum frames, props and motors (local winding and assembly; magnets often sourced from China).
Estimated share: roughly ~40% Ukrainian components seen in units/repairs (varies by manufacturer and volume).
Challenges for local producers:
- Smaller production volumes compared to Chinese suppliers.
- VAT and tax differences versus imports.
- Difficulty matching Chinese price and scale.
- Occasional Chinese supply disruptions (delays, sanctions).

Products and hardware Strex / Strix Air develop

Remanufactured FPV drones tailored to specific crews (frequency/configuration for a brigade).

Interceptor / “bullet” drones (ten-inch class): - Designed as kinetic/explosive interceptors (warhead/cargo usually provided by the military; Strex supplies 3D-printed bodies and electronics). - Typical warhead payload: ~400–500 g explosive mass. - Measured max speeds around 280 km/h (limited by battery, motor current, aerodynamics). - Market pricing context: comparable black‑market/market ranges cited $2,000–$5,000; Strex aims cost-conscious production with an approximate legal margin of 25%.

Long-range FPV / logistics variants: - A ten-inch long-range drone claimed to fly ~45 km with ~1 kg payload; tests confirmed up to ~55 km in favorable (tailwind) conditions.

Supporting hardware: - Aerial repeaters, ground stations, media mounts, and adaptations (including to DJI Matrice platforms). - Testing practices include validating equipment at 15–20+ km ranges and adapting repeaters/antennas for the operational envelope.

Communications / video ecosystem

Analog vs digital video:
- Both are used in the field. Many units still operate analog because of legacy hardware and simpler frequency management.
- Digital video offers advantages but has frequency and implementation limits.
- Both analog and digital links remain vulnerable to electronic warfare (jamming / “rap”).
Frequency management is critical: units often switch VTX/control frequencies when changing operational directions to remain effective.

Manufacturing processes and scaling

Bodies are 3D-printed now (about 20 printers in their farm); injection molding is considered once form is finalized for serial production.
3D printing pros/cons:
- Pros: flexible for prototyping and small runs.
- Cons: sensitive to power outages and slow for mass output.
Injection molding is better for serial production but requires upfront tooling costs.

Fiber-optic tethered drones (plans in progress): - Plan to source optical fiber from China (more cost-effective than Europe/Ukraine). - Coils to be wound in-house by specialized winding teams (often military-experienced operators). - Hybrid approaches (optical fiber + Kevlar strength members) are likely to balance throughput, weight, and reliability. - Practical limits: coils longer than ~40 km become unreliable; therefore multiple coil-length options (10/20/40 km) are useful.

Operational, training and doctrine issues

Hardware is only part of the problem — trained crews are a growing bottleneck.
Retraining MVGs (mobile fire groups / intercept crews) is necessary; many crews are quick learners (average age ~30), but some units overestimate readiness.
Strex provides training support when possible.
Due to budget limits, units often accept whatever drones they receive, which creates high rework demand later.

Supply chain and procurement problems

Some suppliers bid low-quality kits to win tenders; others have unstable production quality.
Warehouses contain obsolete or unusable stock (examples: rotting or infested boxes).
Large volumes of leftover components are difficult to monetize — estimate ~7 million UAH of junk components lying unused.
Chinese supply interruptions and sanctions have impacted top manufacturers (items seized or delayed at borders).

Technical performance notes and R&D priorities

Interceptor design trade-offs:
- Battery energy density vs weight (affects flight time).
- Motor and multi-motor current handling.
- Aerodynamics (screws, fasteners, drag) crucial for top speed and range.
Guidance/autonomy:
- Autopilot-based guidance is developing, but high-speed autonomous precision against moving targets remains challenging.
- Many systems still rely on piloted terminal guidance or human visual acquisition.
Fiber-optic tethered drones:
- Promising for logistics and long-range communications, but require careful cable selection, winding quality, and realistic operational range planning.

Practical “how-to” / workflows

Typical remanufacture workflow: 1. Assess board and identify failures. 2. Replace flight controller/stack if needed. 3. Swap VTX and antennas for required frequencies. 4. Test radio/video range (bench tests at 15–20 km as representative). 5. Package in 3D-printed or repaired frame. 6. Deliver to unit for final integration and warhead filling.

Testing and coil production: - Test both analog and digital video links under representative distances and interference conditions using repeaters and ground stations. - For fiber coils: consult experienced military winders, maintain in-house winding facilities, and prepare multiple coil lengths.

(Quote) Typical testing regime: validate equipment at 15–20+ km ranges and adapt repeaters/antennas accordingly.

Notable performance figures / specs

Rework throughput: up to ~5,000 drones/month in ideal conditions with ~30 people.
Rework cost per drone: roughly 600–7,000 UAH.
Interceptor payload: ~400–500 g explosive mass.
Interceptor speed: measured up to ~280 km/h.
Long-range drone: ~45 km operational range (up to ~55 km in favorable conditions) at ~1 kg.

Main speakers / sources

Eduard Baev — co-founder and director of Strix Air (main technical/source expert).
Interviewer / host — Zbroia project (unnamed in subtitles).
Additional referenced units and organizations: 42nd Brigade, Ukrainian Volunteer Army, charitable fund Stranenko community; conversations with Oleksiy Babenko (Sir Severiy) and local manufacturers (e.g., MotorG).