Ukraine to Purchase Chinese Drones

U.S. drones cost thousands of dollars more per unit
Development limitations due to compliance with communication standards
Ban on Chinese components hinders performance

As the Russia-Ukraine war turns into a drone battlefield with drones being actively used, Ukraine is extensively using Chinese drones that are superior in terms of price and performance compared to American ones, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 10th (local time).

Ukraine consumes about 10,000 drones a month, and it’s too expensive to afford this with American drones. American commercial drones are thousands of dollars more expensive per unit than Chinese models.

Just because American drones are expensive doesn’t mean they perform better. The WSJ reported that drone company executives, Ukrainians on the front lines, Ukrainian government bureaucrats, and former U.S. Department of Defense bureaucrats diagnosed that American drones are overpriced, have defects, and demand frequent repair.

As a result, the Ukrainian military primarily uses products from DJI, China’s largest drone company. They are also advancing the drone industry by mass-producing drones domestically using Chinese components.

The reason why American drones lag behind China is primarily because American drone company executives designed them to meet the communication standards set by the U.S. military in 2019 without anticipating their use in combat. This limited the types and speeds of drones that could be built.

Also, measures prepared by the U.S. government to ban the import of Chinese drones have adversely affected domestic development. The Department of Defense has banned DJI drones in the U.S. military, and Congressional bills plan to ban new DJI products in the U.S.

The WSJ stated, “The vulnerabilities of American drone manufacturers are partly influenced by the U.S. government’s policy response to China,” and added, “The Department of Defense has imposed strict requirements on drone manufacturers, such as a ban on Chinese elements, making the production of small drones more costly and difficult.”