Ukraine has found ways to get tens of thousands of drones as well as drone parts from China. The military is using off-the-shelf Chinese drones, primarily from SZ DJI Technology.
Ukraine has also developed a domestic drone industry that relies on Chinese components. Ukrainian factories are churning out hundreds of thousands of small, cheap drones that can carry explosives. It also produces larger drones that can strike deep into enemy territory and reach Russian ships on the Black Sea.
Dubynskyi said Ukraine wants to test and use more U.S. drones. “Nevertheless, we are looking for cost-effective solutions,” he said.
Ukrainian forces are burning through about 10,000 drones a month, which they couldn’t afford if they had to buy expensive U.S. drones. Many American commercial drones cost tens of thousands of dollars more each than a Chinese model.
The Switchblades faced initial challenges with Russia’s electronic-warfare systems, according to a former U.S. soldier who worked with the drones in Ukraine.
China’s DJI has proven to be the go-to drone brand for Ukraine’s military. DJI said in a statement that it tries to restrict the use of its drones in the war but can’t control how the drones are used after they are purchased.
“DJI absolutely deplores and condemns the use of its products to cause harm anywhere in the world,” the statement said.
@ISIDEWITH2mos2MO
How do you feel about China leading in drone technology, particularly when it's used in conflicts like Ukraine's?
@9LHM2LF2mos2MO
In a way it has become an issue with this specifically how it has created more conflict than it first started with and encourages the U.S. to sort of be better than them in a way which will inevitably turn into a never ending cycle of bitterness that will potentially lead to waste of resources and decrease in both peace and prosperity.
@9LH95KK2mos2MO
Bad because I think we should be the strongest
@9LH89NP2mos2MO
china shouldn't be involved in the war
@9LH7C7S2mos2MO
I think that it's worrisome because its like having non persecutable spies in our country.
@ISIDEWITH2mos2MO
How do you think the advancement in drone technology by countries like China affects global security and power dynamics?
@9LHD4LM2mos2MO
I think it can be very stressful and also really awful.
@9LH8W5MPeace and Freedom2mos2MO
I think that the advancements China's made is good for the industry yk
@9LH8F7K2mos2MO
its beneficial for everyone but could be used as a Chinese weapon
@9LH8CK9Peace and Freedom2mos2MO
I am looking forward to the answer
@ISIDEWITH2mos2MO
If you had to decide between cheaper but effective drones from China or more expensive American drones, which would you choose and why?
@9LH9VJ72mos2MO
I would choose more expensive American drones.
@9LH7WH9Independent2mos2MO
cheaper but effective drones because its effective and its cheaper
@9LH7PWZ2mos2MO
I would choose the China drones because cheap is better.
@9LH75FG2mos2MO
The higher-quality American drones
@CabinetOilPatriot2mos2MO
DJI is second to none. Embarrassing for US drone makers. We need to step up
@QuokkaCarolineTranshumanist2mos2MO
I've own 2 of the mavic series (landscape photography) for a few years now awesome technology
@B4llotBoxBasmatiRepublican2mos2MO
If the U.S. gov was smart. They would hand out grants to Japanese engineering firms. This guys would make Drones that would be invisible, make no noise and hit their targets perfectly, all done in 6 months. To many stupid DEI hires in the U.S./EU now.
@B1partisanBasmatiForward2mos2MO
Your tax dollars need to go to China to build drones for Ukraine to fight Russia so China knows were serious about protecting Taiwan
@YouthfulRavenPatriot2mos2MO
You can always count on the US military industrial complex make overly complex and expensive equipment
@KindGr4ssrootsMountain2mos2MO
U.S. weapons are designed by foreign-born engineers because the flood of cheap imported labor has pushed wages down so much that bright American kids choose other careers.
And now the US is funding China
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