Artillerymen of the 43rd Artillery Brigade are armed with new Shark UAVs
30 May, 2024 Shark reconnaissance drones of the 43rd Artillery Brigade. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo from the Brigade's Facebook page
Ukrainian gunners from the 43rd Brigade have been reinforced with additional Shark drones. The 43rd Artillery Brigade reported that the drones were delivered thanks to the assistance of the Come Back Alive Foundation and civilian pilot Dmytro Antonov. "Two state-of-the-art Sharks made by a Ukrainian manufacturer have already started performing combat missions to reconnoiter and destroy the enemy on Ukrainian soil," the Brigade shared.
The Shark multifunctional unmanned aircraft vehicle system is designed for a wide range of missions. It is with these drones that artillerymen scout for Russian equipment and positions and then adjust artillery at them.
Shark reconnaissance drones of the 43rd Artillery Brigade. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo from the Brigade's Facebook page
Shark reconnaissance drones are manufactured by the Ukrainian company Ukrspecsystems.
The UAV provides the capability of fully autonomous reconnaissance, surveillance, clear identification, and recognition from a long distance and at high altitudes. Declared characteristics:
- Up to 4 hours average flight endurance;
- Up to 80 km communication range;
- 3000 m maximum flight altitude;
- Up to 13.5 kg takeoff weight;
- Up to 300 km range (route length);
- Short deployment time;
- Low cost of operation.
The USG-231 optoelectronic system (camera) has a 30x optical and 4x digital zoom.
Shark reconnaissance drones of the 43rd Artillery Brigade. May 2024, Ukraine. Photo from the Brigade's Facebook page
The military version is equipped with electronic protection equipment, which makes it highly resistant to electronic warfare (EW) attacks.
"Even if the enemy tries to interfere with communication systems, the SHARK-M UAV will continue working and performing its tasks, providing valuable information," the developers share.
This EW protection is a critical advantage in modern warfare, as it ensures that the drone runs smoothly and that critical information is not lost.