Latest news with #Skyeton
Telegraph
11-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Ukrainian drone secrets ‘stolen by snooping Europeans'
Unscrupulous European drone makers are 'faking' battlefield tests and trying to steal the secrets of Ukrainian firms, according to the head of a major local manufacturer. Roman Knyazhenko, the chief executive of Skyeton, accused some Western defence manufacturers of claiming their weaponswere 'combat tested' after short flights conducted away from the front line. As a result, European governments have invested billions of pounds in systems that do not work in reality, taking resources away from the defence of their own nations and support for Ukraine. Mr Knyazhenko said drone makers would visit his firm with proposals of co-operation, only to use the time to try to snoop on its secrets. 'Many European drone makers are doing a fantastic job, and we work with a number of them,' Mr Knyazhenko said. 'But others are promising a lot just to talk with you more, to find out what secrets you have, and then they're disappearing. 'These dishonest companies are trying to sniff around to find out how we're operating, what kind of solutions we have that work on the battlefield. 'Then they do beautiful pitch books, beautiful presentations about how they're operating in Ukraine. But actually they've done just a couple of flights in Lviv [the western city more than 1,000km from the front line]. 'Sometimes I open presentations of other [unmanned] aircrafts from Europe, and I see literally my own words, without any change. 'The big problem, after that, is that billions of dollars go to the companies that still don't have any idea what they're doing.' That poses problems for the country procuring such systems, 'because they're investing in technology that's actually fake. In the end, you will have nothing,' he said. Skyeton is the major manufacturer of long-range unmanned aircraft used by the Ukrainian army, with its Raybird system having completed more than 350,000 combat flight hours. The Raybird can carry various payloads, including reconnaissance cameras, radio frequency locators, and other equipment, while flying up to 2,500km on missions up to 28 hours long. The system is the product of years of relentless work, undergoing hundreds of engineering tweaks per year to adapt to the battlefield. 'We can sometimes help destroy, in one flight, equipment worth billions,' Mr Knyazhenko said. Before Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014, Skyeton produced ultralight K-10 Swift aircraft. But now its team of 500 employees work day and night with the Ukrainian military. 'Just imagine the situation when the crew comes in and something's broken in the system,' Mr Knyazhenko said. 'It means that right now, while they're here, the brigade doesn't have this equipment that supports them.' 'They're asking you, okay, how long will it take to repair? In peacetime you would say a couple of weeks or a month. But right now, you have one night. Because if you do not do it one night, tomorrow the enemy will try and approach us and we will not have aircraft in the air, so we will have casualties.' 'The pressure is huge,' Mr Knyazhenko said. 'Mentally, it's very difficult.' Skyeton's speed reflects the rapidly shifting nature of the war. Around half of the materials inside the Raybird have been replaced in the last three years, to make it less observable by radar. Endurance is also key: the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has to be able to operate in 'very muddy' conditions on the front. 'Your aircraft can easily be in a puddle, and in 10 minutes it has to fly.' 'Sometimes it's just two weeks before a technology that was the most important on the battlefield isn't working any more,' Mr Knyazhenko added. Out on a testing field, a Skyeton crew unpacked the Raybird from several black cases for a demonstration. One man sat by a monitor as rain spattered down the screen. Another set up the elastic sling that launches the UAV off a slide. In recent months, the slide has been shortened and the material in the sling made more springy. Skyeton has been forced to manufacture more of the components and parts needed for the craft in-house. One delivery of a large number of gimbal-cameras arrived with only half in a functional state, Mr Knyazhenko said. The company involved, which he declined to name on the record, acted surprised at the news. 'But every gimbal has an SD card inside with a test in the factory. We checked the test and it was not working in the factory.' Every delay costs millions The company followed its own deadlines for delivery, kicking any problems with the systems down the line. But that means: 'First, guys [on the front] don't have equipment.' 'Second, [Skyeton's] contracts with the government here in Ukraine are very strict. So basically every day of delay will cost us millions.' If Skyeton decided to pursue the case in the courts, the system of international law means 'I will spend like five or six years [waiting for a verdict],' Mr Knyazhenko said. 'Everybody's just doing like this and, in the end, you don't have time to deal with it, and you're just trying to go ahead and forget about it.' To the Skyeton chief executive, one fundamental issue is a misunderstanding on the part of some European companies of the challenges involved in manufacturing UAVs. 'They think if they come here, check someone's factory, they can easily create the same in their country.' But nobody would make the same mistake with car manufacturing, he said. 'To make a BMW from nothing in one year, it's impossible,' he said. 'You will spend 10, 15, 20 years developing and making it until, at last, you will be very close to BMW, right?' 'It's the same story here.' 'We're in a condition where we work all the time, developing so hard. Three years here feels like 20 years in peace time.' 'Some people think, it's easy, we'll just do it. But it's like thousands of secrets, tricks, and experiences that we are collecting inside the company. Without these things, it will not work properly.' Most countries 'far behind' Ukraine in drone combat Instead of funding startups, Mr Knyazhenko called for Western nations to consider financing Ukrainian factories within their own borders. 'Just finance the factory, and you will have the manufacturer in your country with a really advanced system,' he said. Nobody would try and build an F-16 from scratch, he added, because they would 'know it takes so long' and is so hard to do right. 'Every country has the technologies they are good at,' he added. Ukraine's, clearly, is drones, and it should see its products exported, as with the US-made F-16 jet. In a July 7 article in Foreign Affairs magazine, two veterans of Joe Biden's national security council offered a similar assessment. 'Having never experienced [drone] combat, most countries in the world, including the United States, are now far behind the Ukrainians in this regard,' wrote Jon Finer and David Shimer. Asked for an example of the kind of request his team routinely deals with, Mr Knyazhenko recalled a special forces operation in the Black Sea that 'went wrong'. It was nighttime and the sailors were lost at sea, unable to navigate back to base. With just six hours to find the crew before morning light, when the Russians would be able to target them, Skyeton sent out the Raybird UAV. There was a failure with the first one, meaning a second had to be deployed from a more dangerous location while the first flew back. Thrillingly, this Raybird found the crew on the pitch-black waters. It used the lights on its wings to indicate the way they needed to steer. In the end, 'a large group of people got home safe'. Mr Knyazhenko said: 'From one side, everything looks perfect for us. But it was like hell, a night of hell.' 'When you are destroying something you feel good for a couple seconds,' he added. 'But when you know that you saved someone. Like, it's a totally different feeling.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The West's drone tech risks becoming irrelevant if it's not tested daily on the Ukrainian battlefield, defense exec says
A Ukrainian company teamed with a UK contractor to bring its battle-tested drone to the UK market. Ukraine has become ground zero for developing cutting-edge drones. UK-Ukraine tech-sharing aims to enhance military capabilities and retain an edge. The dizzying pace of drone development is now part and parcel of the war in Ukraine, where the fastest-moving companies are battle-testing their products in real-world combat. Increasingly, Western militaries understand that their drone tech will be functionally obsolete unless the technology they import or develop is field-tested in conflicts like Ukraine. "If your system is not in day-to-day use on the frontline of Ukraine, it becomes very quickly out of date," Justin Hedges, a former Royal Marine and cofounder of military intelligence company Prevail, told Business Insider. Prevail has partnered with Ukrainian drone company Skyeton to bring Raybird, a small surveillance and targeting drone, to production in the UK. It's being done with a shrewd eye on the British Army's plans to replace its troubled Watchkeeper drone program with an uncrewed surveillance and targeting capability more suited to the scenarios playing out in Ukraine. More broadly, a recent data and drone tech-sharing agreement made between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Ukrainian insight is to be "plugged into UK production lines." It chimes with a drive across the West to see the Ukrainian battlefield as a live laboratory — out of necessity for the country's defense, but increasingly, as a crucial way for smaller companies to develop systems and services that have a technological edge. The UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard underscored the point at a drone conference in Latvia in late May, saying, "If you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up." Raybird, Skyeton's drone, has a combined 350,000 hours of flight time on Ukraine's front line, in use "from the Black Sea to Kharkiv," Skyeton's founder Alex Stepura told BI. Per Stepura, Raybird can fly more than 28 continuous hours and uses an array of sensors — including optical, electromagnetic, and various radar capabilities — to collect data from "far behind" the front line, sometimes from more than 125 miles away. Many of its sensors can be swapped out in a minute, enabling forces to react quickly. Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has hailed the drone as being capable of tasks normally reserved for much larger models. Its size — just 25kg, or 55 pounds — gives an added advantage: it's "relatively stealthy," Hedges said. Small, advanced drones are crucial to spotting enemy movements and high-value targets like vehicles and air defenses. In response, Russia has deployed an ever-evolving array of electronic warfare tactics that aim to scramble signals, spoof GPS positions, or overwhelm radio frequencies. Hedges said that Skyeton's engineers are continually adapting to these tactics. "The proof is in the data," he added, saying that Ukrainian forces are getting more than 80 missions out of each drone before they're lost. In contrast to the cumbersome procurement processes of major companies, the Ukrainian drone industry is peppered with small, fast-moving producers who iterate quickly and often interact directly with forces on the ground. Milrem Robotics, an Estonian company, is creating autonomous ground robots that are being regularly battle-tested in Ukraine. Its CEO, Kuldar Väärsi, told BI that the conditions in Ukraine are "totally different" to those found in peacetime exercises. Milrem's THeMIS robot had been designed to be simple to operate, but after a stint in Ukraine, the company's engineers realized they needed it to be even simpler, Väärsi said. Kit might be designed for use by soldiers trained on how to use it, he added, but in actual war, "anybody who needs that equipment will use it." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The West's drone tech risks becoming irrelevant if it's not tested daily on the Ukrainian battlefield, defense exec says
The dizzying pace of drone development is now part and parcel of the war in Ukraine, where the fastest-moving companies are battle-testing their products in real-world combat. Increasingly, Western militaries understand that their drone tech will be functionally obsolete unless the technology they import or develop is field-tested in conflicts like Ukraine. "If your system is not in day-to-day use on the frontline of Ukraine, it becomes very quickly out of date," Justin Hedges, a former Royal Marine and cofounder of military intelligence company Prevail, told Business Insider. Prevail has partnered with Ukrainian drone company Skyeton to bring Raybird, a small surveillance and targeting drone, to production in the UK. It's being done with a shrewd eye on the British Army's plans to replace its troubled Watchkeeper drone program with an uncrewed surveillance and targeting capability more suited to the scenarios playing out in Ukraine. More broadly, a recent data and drone tech-sharing agreement made between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Ukrainian insight is to be "plugged into UK production lines." It chimes with a drive across the West to see the Ukrainian battlefield as a live laboratory — out of necessity for the country's defense, but increasingly, as a crucial way for smaller companies to develop systems and services that have a technological edge. The UK armed forces minister Luke Pollard underscored the point at a drone conference in Latvia in late May, saying, "If you are a drone company and you do not have your kit on the frontline in Ukraine, you might as well give up." Raybird, Skyeton's drone, has a combined 350,000 hours of flight time on Ukraine's front line, in use "from the Black Sea to Kharkiv," Skyeton's founder Alex Stepura told BI. Per Stepura, Raybird can fly more than 28 continuous hours and uses an array of sensors — including optical, electromagnetic, and various radar capabilities — to collect data from "far behind" the front line, sometimes from more than 125 miles away. Many of its sensors can be swapped out in a minute, enabling forces to react quickly. Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has hailed the drone as being capable of tasks normally reserved for much larger models. Its size — just 25kg, or 55 pounds — gives an added advantage: it's "relatively stealthy," Hedges said. Small, advanced drones are crucial to spotting enemy movements and high-value targets like vehicles and air defenses. In response, Russia has deployed an ever-evolving array of electronic warfare tactics that aim to scramble signals, spoof GPS positions, or overwhelm radio frequencies. Hedges said that Skyeton's engineers are continually adapting to these tactics. "The proof is in the data," he added, saying that Ukrainian forces are getting more than 80 missions out of each drone before they're lost. In contrast to the cumbersome procurement processes of major companies, the Ukrainian drone industry is peppered with small, fast-moving producers who iterate quickly and often interact directly with forces on the ground. Milrem Robotics, an Estonian company, is creating autonomous ground robots that are being regularly battle-tested in Ukraine. Its CEO, Kuldar Väärsi, told BI that the conditions in Ukraine are "totally different" to those found in peacetime exercises. Milrem's THeMIS robot had been designed to be simple to operate, but after a stint in Ukraine, the company's engineers realized they needed it to be even simpler, Väärsi said. Kit might be designed for use by soldiers trained on how to use it, he added, but in actual war, "anybody who needs that equipment will use it."
Cision Canada
24-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Skyeton Canada Inc. Closes Strategic Seed Round Led by Research Capital Corporation, Launching Disruptive Entry into North American UAV Market
TORONTO, June 24, 2025 /CNW/ - Skyeton Canada Inc. (" Skyeton Canada" or the " Company"), a next generation venture in the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sector, today announced the successful close of its initial private placement financing round. The offering, which was led by Research Capital Corp, positions Skyeton Canada to initiate scaled commercial operations and accelerate the deployment of its cutting-edge, dual-use drone platforms across defence, and civil / industrial sectors. This foundational capital raise is expected to enable the phased activation of Skyeton Canada's integrated three-channel business model comprising: OEM UAV platform sales of its RA™ UAV long-endurance systems; Drones-as-a-Service (DaaS) offerings for turnkey surveillance and monitoring missions; and AI-enabled Data-as-a-Service solutions providing actionable geospatial intelligence for enterprise and government customers. With momentum building for subsequent capital raises, Skyeton Canada is now uniquely positioned to emerge as a leading North American player in the fast-evolving UAV and aerial intelligence market. "Skyeton will not just build drones—we're also delivering sovereign surveillance capabilities with strategic agility," said a company spokesperson. "From border security to energy infrastructure monitoring, we offer unparalleled endurance, precision, and cost-efficiency in one package—operationally proven, manufactured in Canada, and ready for North America's unique surveillance needs." About Skyeton Canada Inc. Skyeton Canada Inc. is developing as a vertically integrated manufacturer of advanced long-endurance, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) unmanned aerial vehicles and tailored services to high-demand government and commercial applications. At the core of its offerings is the RA™ UAV platform, an up to 30-hour, 3,000 km / 1,800-mile endurance drone engineered for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in austere or expansive terrain, including the littoral. Operationally proven, and to be precision-built in Canada, the RA™ system will be ITAR-compliant, modular, and interoperable with both NATO-aligned defence frameworks and enterprise-grade civil use cases. Skyeton's platform bridges a critical capability gap—between costly manned aircraft and limited short-range drones—offering a cost-effective, AI-integrated solution for critical infrastructure and natural resource surveillance—including forestry and agriculture—Arctic and coastal monitoring, border integrity, public safety, and search-and-rescue (SAR) missions. Strategic Vision & Industrial Alignment Operating at the intersection of aerospace innovation and national security resilience, Skyeton Canada mission is aligned with Canada's defence modernization, domestic procurement, and whole-of-government surveillance priorities. Its collaborative approach will include partnerships with federal agencies, Indigenous communities, and domestic technology providers to ensure secure, sovereign ISR capabilities within Canada's industrial base. With a rapidly scalable DaaS model and in-house manufacturing capacity, Skyeton aims to meet growing global demand for persistent aerial intelligence solutions in military, civil, energy, environmental, and other essential sectors. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future growth potential of the Company, the Company's strategic vision and business strategy, use of proceeds from the offering, and future requirements for capital. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: the successful integration of technology; the ability to enter into agreements for the purchase and sale of its products; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; the Company's limited operating history; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; the competitive nature of the drone and UAV industry; unproven markets for the Company's product offerings; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates; the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions; and liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements' best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements or information.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukrainian company Skyeton to manufacture Raybird drones in EU
Skyeton, a Ukrainian manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems, has demonstrated the production of Raybird drones in the European Union. Source: Defender media Details: The company's press release states that the drones are already being delivered to customers in partner countries. Production is organised at a plant in Slovakia owned by the Tropozond company, which is part of the Skyeton Group. The company conducted a short video tour of its new production facilities, demonstrating the process of creating drones. Skyeton is known for its unmanned aerial systems (UAS), in particular the Raybird-3 system, which is one of its key developments. Raybird-3 is a modern unmanned system designed for reconnaissance missions and search and rescue operations. It has two modifications: civilian and military ACS-3. The military version is equipped with protection against electronic warfare and is capable of flying in automatic mode. The drone can stay in the air for over 24 hours, covering 2,000 km, and the operator can control it from a distance of up to 240 km. Background: Recently, the company announced a strategic partnership with Danish company Quadsat, which specialises in radio frequency research. Together, they will develop an aviation radio-electronic reconnaissance complex based on a special Danish-made QS RF Locator suspension module and the Ukrainian ACS-3 Raybird UAV. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
