Australia sends Ukraine cardboard drones to help in Russia war

 

An Australian company is supplying Ukraine with flat-packed

cardboard drones to help against the Russian invasion.

After an initiative launched by the Australian government, Melbourne-based company SYPAQ Systems delivered several "Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System" (PPDS) drones to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The flat-pack drones are made of waxed cardboard, can be easily assembled, and are launched with a catapult enabling the delivery of ammunition, food, and medicine directly to the front line.

SYPAQ said the cardboard drone will allow Ukraine's pilots to fly it on missions of up to 120 kilometres, using easily pre-programmed routes for automated operation that frees up would-be pilots for other tasks until the UAV returns.

The PPDS flies autonomously without operator control and uses GPS guidance where available. However, the control software can work out its position from speed and heading if the GPS is jammed. This makes it possible for the drone to carry out missions even under conditions of complete radio jamming, which is essential in Ukraine, where Russian electronic warfare has reportedly taken down large numbers of drones. About 100 Australian drones are delivered every month, according to the manufacturer.

The drones will be sent out over Russian-occupied territory with a camera or other sensors to gain information. They are also able to drop small explosives. Operation is also simple, with flight being programmed via a straightforward interface on an Android tablet. The drones are manufactured at SYPAQ's Defense Autonomy Center of Excellence in Fisherman's Bend, Melbourne, using components from SYPAQ's Australian supply chain.

Yahoo News.