In an impressive demonstration of technological prowess and determination, a drone originating from Ukraine staged a successful attack on a Russian ammunition depot last fall. This act of defiance, striking deep within the adversary’s territory, was a moment of triumph for the individual responsible for the drone’s production. The aftermath signified a halt in Russia’s destructive glide bomb attacks, a reprieve for her home town, Kharkiv, and a crucial milestone for Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.
Iryna Terekh, the production chief at Fire Point, speaks candidly about the importance of aerial warfare in Ukraine’s current military strategy. She acknowledges the stark disparities between Ukraine and its foe in terms of available resources and personnel, prompting a more asymmetric approach in the battleground. Terekh leads a team tasked with the production of ‘deep-strike drones’, capable of hitting essential establishments, including arms depots and oil refineries integral to Russia’s war economy.
Stoked by its fight for survival against Russia, and backed by limited aid from Western allies, Ukraine has emerged as a significant hub for defense innovation. The endgame is to either equate or possibly surpass Russia’s prominently formidable military prowess. Fire Point is a front runner in this transformative journey, engineering groundbreaking tech solutions aimed to level the battlefield.
Fire Point stands apart with its flagship FP-1 explosive drones that boast a formidable range of up to 994 miles. Recently, the company revealed a novel cruise missile prototype capable of a staggering 1,864-mile journey — a feat Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy envisions to bring into mass production before year-end. These groundbreaking technologies underscore Ukraine’s resolve to build up its self-reliance in thwarting Russian aggression.
“Our ultimate insurance lies in our capacity to safeguard ourselves, not in placing our fate in the hands of others,” asserts Arsen Zhumadilov, the leading figure of Ukraine’s arms acquisition agency. Currently, Ukraine’s administration annually invests about $10 billion in locally-produced weaponry. Industry representatives believe this figure can potentially triple with sales to European allies, which could fast track the sector’s advancement.
The birth of drone innovation in Ukraine was primarily out of necessity. Western allies, despite repeated appeals, refrained from authorizing Kyiv to employ their long-range weaponry against deep-seated Russian targets. This prompted a unique solution-seeking endeavor by a group of friends from diverse disciplines. Their objective? To devise affordable drones that could mirror the destructive force of the Iranian Shahed drones, a favorite tool of warfare for Russia.
Pooling their collective expertise in fields as diverse as construction, game design, and architecture, this multidisciplinary team — absent any previous knowledge in defense — fabricated unique drone patterns. These drone designs surpassed most existing market offerings in terms of precision and range capabilities, whilst negating the need for a runway for take-off.
Iryna Terekh, an architect by profession, joined the team in 2023 with an ambitious goal of cranking out 30 drones each month. Today, the company’s production capacity has skyrocketed to almost a 100 drones daily, each priced at an affordable $55,000. Though the FP-1 may not appear as sophisticated as rival models, its absence of unnecessary frills doesn’t compromise its battlefield efficacy.
The FP-1’s impressive performance on the battlefield is testament to its effectiveness, delivering a formidable 132-pound explosive payload and accounting for 60% of successful strikes deep inside enemy territory. Such strikes targeting military hardware stores and oil refineries have substantially deterred Russia’s advancement along eastern Ukraine’s stretched front line, with army units reporting a notable drop in artillery fire.
Following Russia’s 2022 invasion, a surge of defense-focused enterprises bloomed almost overnight. The government fuelled this shift by relaxing bureaucratic restrictions that formerly inhibited collaboration between start-ups and military brigades. Swarms of patriotic entrepreneurs from a spectrum of sectors quickly scaled up facilities to research and manufacture weapons, predominantly drones.
“Ukraine finds itself in this unique juncture where it is steadily morphing into a defense-focused Silicon Valley,” contemplates Ukrainian defense mogul Yaroslav Azhnyuk. Fire Point, initially relying on a Western firm’s navigation equipment for its drones, had to swiftly develop in-house software to counter Russian electronic warfare attempts at disrupting its drones’ effectiveness.
Owing to their high-value nature, many defense firms prefer staying concealed, either underground or embedded within civilian populations for protection against Russian raids. This strategy is not devoid of risks as civilians could become inadvertent targets. The sad reality of the imprecise Russian onslaughts is an unfortunate number of Ukrainian civilian fatalities — targets thought to be weapons facilities.
During a recent visit to the Fire Point production site, reporters witnessed several drones in line for dispatch. Expectedly, these drones would be deployed to the battlefield within 72 hours, discreetly transported by ordinary cargo trucks. Fire Point still prioritizes field feedback and reinvests profits to foster rapid innovations, staying in a competitive race with other drone manufacturers.
This year, Fire Point completed tests on its debut cruise missile, the FP-5. This behemoth missile, having a range of 1,864 miles and a precision of within 45 feet from the target, carries a whopping 2,535-pound payload. The testament to its ostentation is its nickname ‘Flamingo’, a moniker that surprisingly derives from a factory mishap that resulted in the early versions being painted pink.
Fire Point plans to ramp up the ‘Flamingo’ production to seven units per day by October, from its current one unit. Though Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy, are striving for peace, individuals like Terekh remain doubtful of Russia’s intent to honor a peaceful resolution. She contemplates, “A more daunting, extensive war might be our future.”
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