Leading UAV manufacturers DraganFly, Quantum-Systems, AeroVironment, and Teledyne Flir are just a few of the companies that have given Ukraine state-of-the-art aerial craft to defend itself in the Russian conflict, but Australian company SYPAQ Systems stands out in that supportive effort by giving Kyiv their cardboard Corvo UAVs.
Corvo UAVs are made almost completely out of cardboard and are held together by strong string or rubber bands. They are shipped in flatpacks and assembled using common materials like tape, glue, and other tools. Mounting the front-end motor and propeller with a monkey wrench is the craft’s most complicated assembly step.
These cardboard drones can fly up to 120-kilometers using pre-programmed routes. The craft’s onboard technology enables it to locate itself and maintain its course even when GPS is not available or there is severe communication jamming. Corvo will provide Ukraine’s armed forces with a low cost, expendable drone for transportation of supplies and equipment, as well as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
SYPAQ’s pizza box drones can collect useful information on Russian deployments and preparations up to 60 kilometres away and return with accurate data for Ukraine soldiers to employ in preventive or proactive operations. They can also be adapted to drop explosives and have already been used against hostile targets.
The Corvo support is part of Australia’s assistance to Kyiv in fighting Russia’s incursion. If the UAVs are discovered and destroyed, all that is lost are the 2 or 3 thousand dollars they purportedly cost as well as any onboard sensors. This is a much less costly option than destroying any modified enterprise, public safety, or military-grade craft. SYPAQ is supplying 100 Corvo drones to Ukraine every month, providing a cost-efficient but highly effective aerial asset.
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