Ukrainian Air Forces received a PD-2 UAV system from the donors
9 May, 2023 PD-2 UAV, May 2023. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation The Ukrainian military received a PD-2 domestically produced unmanned aerial system.
Come Back Alive Foundation announced this. They stressed that PD-2 will be conducting reconnaissance of hostile targets for HIMARS. The Command of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received the unmanned system.
The cost of the PD-2 UAV is over UAH 30,000,000.
PD-2 UAV, May 2023. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation
The single system consists of:
- two reconnaissance UAVs;
- ground station;
- mobile control post based on a four-wheel drive minibus.
PD-2 UAV, May 2023. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation
PD-2 is an unmanned aircraft reconnaissance system of operational-tactical level, developed by UkrSpecSystems and manufactured in Ukraine.
It has a flight radius of more than 200 kilometers and is able to stay in the air for up to 12 hours and track movements, including moving targets, to correct fire and discover information for HIMARS and other long-range defeat systems.
PD-2 UAV, May 2023. Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation
The Ukrainian drone has a piston engine. The total distance of PD-2's flight with a full tank can reach 1000 or more kilometers.
PD-2 does not always need a runway for take-off, as these UAVs can take off vertically. According to the Foundation, each drone has a monitoring station with a 30x zoom for the daytime channel and 5x for thermal imaging. This allows detailed reconnaissance at a distance of 5 kilometers, and even further in observation mode.
PD-2 UAV, May 2023.
Photo credits: Come Back Alive Foundation
Thus, the crews of HIMARS and other long-range artillery systems have permanent "eyes" in the air. In total, last year, the Come Back Alive Foundation contracted 11 such systems.
10 were purchased for over UAH 300 000 000 at the expense of donations made to the foundation's general accounts. Funds for another one were raised by the IT community DOU.
Also, Uklon representatives joined the DOU campaign and donated UAH 1 million for PD-2.
In February, volunteers transferred one PD-2 to the artillery unit of the Defense Forces.