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 Obsolescence / mismatch — outdated frequencies, firmware, and control/video bands that do not match a unit’s operational direction.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).