WSJ Takes Inside Look at Ukrainian Long-Range Drone Manufacturing

29 April, 2024 Production of the fuselage of a Ukrainian long-range drone of an unknown model, April 2024. Photo credits: The Wall Street Journal A Ukrainian long-range drone manufacturer recently showcased its facility, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The manufacturer also discussed its drone production process with the journalists. Inside the enterprise, built in the west of Ukraine, dozens of workers in protective clothing make elements of the fuselage of the future drone, the name of which did not fall under the record. During the report, the workers demonstrated the stage of forming the aircraft skin from fiberglass, as well as the production of mechanical parts.

An employee of a Ukrainian enterprise manufactures the chassis of an attack drone, April 2024. Photo credits: The Wall Street Journal

According to workers, the plant, which produces strike drones with a range of up to 800 kilometers, was launched only six months ago. "Five months ago, this room was completely empty," the plant worker said.

Before the Russian invasion, the owner of the enterprise was engaged in the production of plastic containers in the north of the Kharkiv region. However, some time after he had to flee the occupation, and began to work on the project of his own UAV. He hired several retired specialists who had previously worked on Soviet aviation projects.

Two months later, the development team released two tested prototypes. "At my age, I should have retired a long time ago, but there is a war in my country," says the 74-year-old former chief specialist of the Kharkiv Aviation Plant. The next challenge for the developers was to scale up drone production to a level that could meet the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Currently, 75 people work on the production line, which begins with pressing fiberglass into a matrix in the form of wings, tails, and noses. After 11 hours of hardening in the furnace, the parts are assembled into a small aircraft with a wingspan of 2 meters.

The engine and explosives are installed in the fuselage at another plant. The plant can currently produce 1-2 fuselages per day. To boost production capacity, the owner recently acquired a second furnace for polymerizing fuselage blanks.

Additionally, there are plans to expand the premises and recruit 50 more workers to operate in two shifts.

At the same time, the company continues to develop another drone model with an expected flight radius of more than 1000 km.