{
  "id": 16903368,
  "title": "From private equity to precision strikes: How Lithuania's PDKinematics is rethinking drone warfare",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/from-private-equity-to-precision-strikes-how-lithuanias-pdkinematics",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T13:32:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tech.eu",
    "slug": "tech-eu",
    "url": "https://tech.eu/2026/10/28/from-private-equity-to-precision-strikes-how-lithuania-s-pdkinematics-is-rethinking-drone-warfare/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, former private equity fund manager Rapolas Markevičius redirected his expertise towards defence technology. He now leads Lithuanian startup PDKINEMATICS, which develops precision-guidance systems to enhance smaller drones' effectiveness in increasingly hostile environments. In an interview, Markevičius discussed the company's inception, the evolving drone warfare landscape, lessons from Ukraine's battlefield, and the challenges of building defence technology in Europe.\n\nPDKINEMATICS emerged from the geopolitical turmoil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Markevičius brought together engineers with backgrounds in the space industry to develop technologies aimed at bolstering Europe's defence capabilities. This project, initiated in late 2022, rapidly evolved into a company driven by a shared sense of urgency and a commitment to contribute to European security. The company's leadership believes that their work can contribute to altering Europe's geopolitical landscape—a political motive that prompted their entry into the field. Currently, PDKINEMATICS employs around 20 individuals, with talent acquisition posing a challenge. However, the company's strategy of adapting existing technologies to modern hardware allows them to recruit engineers with experience in newer technology sectors.\n\nAccording to Markevičius, limitations in current precision-guidance technologies stem from the military doctrine developed after World War II. Major countries invested in precision guidance systems to enhance military operations' effectiveness while minimizing collateral damage. However, these technologies were primarily designed for large military platforms like aircraft and helicopters. On the battlefield in Ukraine, these platforms struggle to operate effectively near the front lines, creating a fundamental issue for traditional NATO doctrine that relies heavily on air support.\n\nLow-cost first-person view (FPV) drones have partially addressed this issue by providing a precision-strike capability at a lower cost. However, their effectiveness is limited by operator skill and the difficulties in scaling their deployment. Ukraine has become proficient in deploying FPV drones, but European and NATO militaries have yet to replicate this capability at scale. Ukrainian forces have increasingly employed larger UAVs carrying unguided munitions, supplementing traditional artillery capabilities. However, these systems must operate at lower altitudes for accuracy, increasing their exposure to ground-based threats.\n\nPDKINEMATICS aims to tackle these limitations with Gannet, its flagship precision-guidance system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The low-SWaP-C (size, weight, power, cost) system enables UAVs to deploy precision-guided munitions from altitudes of up to 700 metres, approximately six times higher than unguided munitions without compromising accuracy. Gannet is already deployed in Ukraine and several other European countries, adding precision-strike capabilities to existing UAV fleets without requiring operators to acquire new platforms. Additionally, Gannet is jam-resistant, platform-agnostic, and capable of functioning in challenging weather conditions.\n\nPDKINEMATICS claims the ability to integrate Gannet across various UAV types within four weeks, from the initial agreement to the first flight. Markevičius emphasized that the system's ability to operate in GPS-denied environments, particularly those affected by extensive electronic warfare, is a core capability. While specific technical details are not disclosed, the company's focus on adapting established technologies to modern hardware to create smaller, lighter, more energy-efficient, less expensive, and scalable systems is a key aspect of their approach.",
  "summary": "Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, former private equity fund manager Rapolas Markevičius decided to put his experience to work in a very different industry: defence technology. Today,...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}