On September 29, Ukrainian company BlueBird Tech announced that it had received codification from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the ‘Bebradrone’ fixed-wing strike unmanned aerial vehicle.
This gives the manufacturer the ability to officially supply the system to the Defense Forces: military personnel will be able to procure it using budget funds.
“For BlueBird Tech, the codification of the ‘Bebradrone’ is an important stage in the development of the entire ecosystem of this UAV,” said company CEO Valerii Zarubin. According to him, this should expand pilots’ capabilities for engaging enemy targets.
The ‘Bebradrone’ is a tactical fixed-wing UAV designed for medium-range missions. According to the manufacturer, its tactical radius is up to 45 km, maximum speed is 150 km/h, and flight endurance is from 30 minutes. The declared maximum payload is up to 7,5 kg. A compact pneumatic catapult of BlueBird Tech’s own production is used for launch. The aircraft transmits video and telemetry to the operator in real time.
Public trials of the ‘Bebradrone’ were conducted by the company previously. In particular, during a demonstration, the developers showed the full preparation cycle of the aircraft for launch, including the operation of the pneumatic catapult. It was reported that the system can be deployed in field conditions in approximately 10 minutes.
It is noted that the codification applies not only to a single aircraft in the manufacturer’s lineup. BlueBird Tech is simultaneously developing an entire ecosystem around the platform.
In particular, at the end of August, the company introduced the ‘Bebradrone KIT’ — a modular version in which the customer can choose the control systems, video transmission, cameras, navigation, and other onboard electronics. The platform is offered in Base, ARF, and Pro variants, as well as in a custom configuration.
The company has also separately created a training modification called ‘Bebradrone-M’, intended for operator training and aerial target simulation.
Notably, demand for the platform has already materialized in public procurement: in August, military unit A4723 signed a contract with BlueBird Tech for 20 strike ‘Bebradrones’ and one ‘Bebradrone’ UAV complex, with a total value of UAH 1.3525 million excluding VAT.
Available configurations and current specifications of the ‘Bebradrone’ are published by the manufacturer on the official BlueBird Tech website.
