An American Volunteer Sparked Ukraine's Unrelenting Drone Operation
An American Volunteer Sparked Ukraine's Unrelenting Drone Operation
On March 8th, ex-US Marine Troy Smothers came across an article on Our Website about a novel Russian FPV drone that communicated via a fiber optic cable instead of radio. Intrigued by its stealth capabilities and capability to evade detection and jamming, Smothers, who raises funds for Ukraine through his Drone Reaper website, saw an opportunity.
"This is exactly what our Ukrainian forces need," Smothers mentioned during an interview.
Fiber optic drones could potentially turn the tide, but only the Russians had access to this technology. Determined to put this advantage in Ukraine's hands, Smothers embarked on a challenging mission.
Seven months later, his ambitions were realized in a spectacular fashion.
Propagating the Concept of Fiber Drones
Simply sharing the article wasn't enough to spark interest. Despite the numerous innovative drone ideas circulating in Ukraine, standing out from the crowd required something extraordinary.
Doubts and criticisms about the practicality of fiber optic drones quickly emerged. The cable would get tangled or break, the range was too limited, the design was overly heavy, the drone would have poor maneuverability, or it would simply be too expensive.
However, the growing intensity of Russian electronic warfare with more jammers along the frontline made it imperative to find a solution. Reports suggested that up to 50% of FPVs launched by Ukraine were being brought down by jamming in some areas, causing operators to abandon attempts at flying into heavily-guarded positions.
With fiber-optic FPV's, this protection could be completely negated.
Smothers set out to build his own fiber optic drone prototype, eventually traveling to Ukraine with thousands of dollars worth of fiber optic cable, gear, and a mission to persuade others of this underutilized technology.
Ready-to-Use Drones for the Battlefield
Smothers recognized that Ukraine needed an affordable, sustainable solution. FPV drones, which often cost around $500 and mainly rely on donations, were too expensive for the Ukrainian military. In contrast, the U.S. Army could afford $50,000-strike drones.
Using off-the-shelf hardware and a few hours to convert a typical FPV drone, Smothers developed an affordable, unjammable fiber-optic drone design, with the help of Krab Tech.
He spent the following months reaching out to various organizations in Ukraine, including Ukraine Aid Operations, Technology United for Ukraine, Defense Tech For Ukraine, the government-backed Brave1 defense technology accelerator, military units, and drone manufacturers like Wild Hornets, Vyriy, and Dronarnia. By demonstrating the functionality of his prototype, addressing concerns, and offering the assistance, Smothers inspired others to convert their FPV drones into fiber-optic ones at an affordable price of under $200 (excluding labor costs).
Plenty of organizations appreciated the proposal, especially considering the increasing use of fiber optic drones in Russian military operations, which suggested they were exceptionally effective. With video evidence from real-world applications, competitors had little choice but to follow suit.
Underneath the Tin Foil Hats
Experimentation with fiber optic FPV's began in earnest, as cargo planes and contractors specializing in electronic warfare services scrambled to acquire unjammable drones. Their goal: to break the stranglehold jamming had on drone operations, allowing for reconnaissance and targeted strikes in heavily-guard Russian positions.
The process was not without challenges, as skeptics continued to voice concerns about the practicality of fiber optic drones. For instance, owners hesitated to wire their drones with large fiber optic cables, which would add weight and increase bulk, reducing maneuverability. Furthermore, they worried about the longevity of the fiber optic cable, which could potentially snap or tangle during flight.
Smothers and his team had to take these concerns seriously and quickly address them, so they developed flexible, ultra-thin fiber optic cables, spools, and reels. These insignificant changes significantly improved the drone performance, boasting exceptional maneuverability and streamlined design, making it easy to mount and maneuver. Additionally, the new fibers were virtually indestructible and had the ability to avoid detection, providing superior payload capacity and sensing capabilities.
Armed with these advancements, Smothers and his team hit the road, traveling across Europe and the Middle East, attending drone competitions and workshops, presenting their designs, and demonstrating the advantages of fiber optic drones. They shared their knowledge with colleagues, leading others to develop their own innovative fiber optic drones.
The movement soon spanned the globe and became a significant talking point at various global tech conferences and drone expos. With intense curiosity and a growing demand for fiber optic drones, businesses and military organizations took notice, trying to stay ahead of the curve and stay competitive.
Smothers and his team couldn't have anticipated the exponential growth their innovation would trigger. In just a few years, fiber optic drones had become a game-changer in the world of military technology. Smithers himself had fostered a new generation of technologists, innovators, and idealists, all seeking to advance the state of the art and protect freedom around the world.
Following the initial success, multiple Ukrainian units have reportedly executed additional confirmed drone takedowns using fiber FPVs. Unofficial statements suggest a success rate of around 80-90%, significantly surpassing radio-controlled drones, which are frequently ineffective due to jamming or friendly fire incidents.
Several Ukrainian groups are now actively producing their own hardware on a large scale. Among them, 3DTech, with whom I conversed last month, developed their unique design. Meanwhile, Anton Mogolivets claims to have created his own version by reverse-engineering a captured Russian drone. HIGHCAT offered their design to Ukraine in August, but it's unclear if any progress has been made.
Together, these groups have validated the technology and set the groundwork for a robust Ukrainian fiber-optic drone technology sector. While their output may be a small fraction of the current FPV market, the number of fiber drones is growing exponentially.
Shaping the Future
The Russians continue to rely on their original design, referred to as Prince Vandal. Ukrainian sources claim this drone is a rebranded product manufactured by Chinese company Skywalker, retailing at over $2,000, while the Russian military allegedly pays $17,000 each.
By contrast, the Ukrainians are consistently innovating. For instance, they have streamlined the mechanism to ensure smoother fiber deployment. Smothers believed he had minimized costs as much as possible, but the Ukrainians managed to lower them further.
"They simplified the original design," says Smothers.
Lower production costs lead to higher production volumes. Currently, the Russians have a substantial lead due to a six-month head start and government funding. However, this advantage is rapidly diminishing as an increasing number of Ukrainian fiber drones emerge from the production lines, partly due to the interest Smothers ignited. Ukraine is developing a flourishing and evolving fiber drone ecosystem.
Fiber technology extends beyond FPVs. Maintaining communication with ground robots and remote weapons, both commonly utilized, has always been complicated due to limited radio communication range and line-of-sight issues. Fiber optics overcome such challenges while also blocking jamming signals.
Fixed-wing drone types now rely on fiber optic control for various purposes, including reconnaissance and other missions apart from strikes.
While radio control may remain preferred for undisturbed areas, fiber drones will undoubtedly dominate when electronic warfare emerges as the primary drone defense strategy. Smothers and his colleagues are still developing improvements, having achieved test flights with increased range far beyond previous standards. Beyond fiber optics, Smothers is also working on the next revolutionary advancements in drone warfare, expressing satisfaction with their accomplishments so far.
"It was exciting to see fiber drones in action," says Smothers. "And it all stemmed from that first article."
Despite facing criticisms about its practicality, the potential of fiber optic drones to evade jamming was compelling. Smothers, determined to bring this technology to Ukraine, decided to build a prototype using fiber optic cable and off-the-shelf hardware.
After his successful demonstrations and persuasive efforts, various organizations in Ukraine started converting their FPV drones into fiber-optic ones at an affordable price. Smothers' initiative ignited a movement, sparking intense curiosity and demand for fiber optic drones globally.