Ukraine is pushing fiber-optic drones to greater ranges. One maker questions whether that's worth the trade-offs.
Ukraine's unjammable fiber-optic drones have achieved greater ranges, but one maker, TechEx, says pushing them further may not be worth the trade-off.
Ukrainian drone maker TechEx has expressed reservations about extending the range of their fiber-optic drones, suggesting that increased range may not be worth the trade-offs. These drones, which transmit commands and video through a physical cable, provide clearer video feeds than other types and are immune to conventional radio-frequency jamming.
TechEx has built models with ranges of up to 35 and 40 kilometers, but Oleg, a TechEx executive, stated that they are considering whether to push the limits further to 45 or 50 kilometers. The main concern is the added weight required for longer cables and larger batteries, which could reduce the payload capacity of the drones. This could limit their effectiveness in combat situations.
TechEx has developed lighter spools and wound the fiber optic cable more efficiently to mitigate this issue. However, the company is still weighing the benefits of increased range against the potential drawbacks.
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