Vector drone production localized in Ukraine
29 August, 2024 Vector UAV. Photo credits: Quantum-Systems The German drone manufacturer Quantum-Systems has launched a plant to produce Vector unmanned systems in Ukraine.
Representatives of the company's Ukrainian division shared this with Militarnyi. The Ukrainian plant of Quantum-Systems started operating in the spring of this year and is already producing Vector reconnaissance drones for the Defense Forces. The company is currently assembling drones from ready-made kits imported from Germany, but the company is gradually localizing structural elements.
In particular, the manufacturers said that the produced drones are equipped with wings and CRPA antennas to receive satellite signals made in Ukraine. The company plans to start producing the fuselage and other structural elements in the future.
An element of the Vector drone, which houses the Ukrainian-made CRPA antenna, August 28, 2024. Photo credits: Militarnyi
Representatives of Quantum-Systems shared that the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war demonstrated the vulnerability of reconnaissance drones that rely on satellite navigation. As an alternative, the company is currently working on an optical navigation technology based on an updated optical station with integrated software based on AI Receptor artificial intelligence.
The new upgrade package is based on Nvidia's Jetson Orin chip and several sensors. This update allows for optical navigation day and night and in low visibility conditions, as well as automated object recognition and identification using artificial intelligence. The drones assembled at the Ukrainian enterprise use Raptor optical modules with a television and infrared surveillance channel from the Israeli company NextVision as a sensor.
Optical sensor of the Vector drone from NextVision, August 28, 2024. Photo credits: Militarnyi
Quantum-Systems' Vector medium-range drones have been in operation in Ukraine since May 2022.
They are supplied to the Ukrainian army with funding from the German government. So far, 212 systems have been funded by the German government. The company said that 500 UAVs are expected to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year.
Quantum-Systems already has a service, support, training, and logistics center in Ukraine with 25 Ukrainian employees.
In addition, in 2023, the company opened a Research and Development Center in the country.