The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has placed an order for 300 Vector tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from German small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) specialist Quantum Systems, the company announced on 31 May 2023.
The order is in addition to two previous orders for 105 Vector UAVs in January 2023 and 33 in August 2022.
“Since August 2022 Vector [has] demonstrated its unprecedented performance under the most challenging conditions,” the company stated in a 31 May press release. “Vector has been extensively used and intensively tested on the Ukrainian battlefield, where it has proven to be an asset for military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.”
“The Ukrainian MoD’s third Vector order is a testament to Quantum Systems’ commitment to support the Ukrainian MoD in the defence of their country and signifies a crucial milestone in advancing defence capabilities and fostering innovation in UAS technology,” the company added. “The Vector system’s integration into the Ukrainian armed forces equips military personnel with advanced aerial intelligence and situational awareness, enabling enhanced decision making and heightened operational effectiveness.”
The Vector sUAS uses a vertical take-off, fixed-wing air vehicle with a wingspan of 2.8 m and a take-off weight of 7.4 kg. This is powered by three electric motors – one on each wing and one on the tail fin – that are vertically positioned for take-off but which then swivel forward to effect conventional forward flight. Carrying a payload of two gimballed electro-optical/infra-red sensors – the HD40-LV, featuring a 10x optical zoom daylight camera and a fixed-focal-length uncooled long-wave infra-red camera, and the Raptor, which is a high-resolution EO/IR sensor offering day, low-light and night-time capabilities ranging from near infra-red to long-wave infra-red and a zoom function up to 80x (40x optical and 2x digital) – the Vector UAV has an endurance of 180 minutes and a flight range of 180 km (although the datalink range is 35+ km).
The Vector UAV also features an NVIDIA Jetson Orin artificial intelligence (AI) board that spares the user from having to constantly monitor the UAV’s video feed. Built-in algorithms allow the system to automatically identify objects and immediately transmit key intelligence information to the ground. The AI board also supports and enables GNSS-denied navigation: a feature that was developed with direct feedback from Ukrainian users on the battlefield.
Quantum Systems has further moved to support Ukrainian Vector users by recently opening a service, training, support and logistics facility in Ukraine. This provides training for operators on the use and maintenance of the Vector system and is the local hub for procuring spare parts and repair services.
Peter Felstead
