ST-35 Silent Thunder ‘kamikaze’ drone nears final development phase, enhancing Ukrainian military capabilities

Athlon Avia, a Ukrainian company specializing in unmanned aerial systems (UASs), is making significant progress in creating the ST-35 Silent Thunder loitering munition unmanned aerial system. Artem Vyunnyk, the CEO of the company, shared this update during an interview on Espreso TV, as reported by Defense Express.

Artem Vyunnyk emphasized, "We are in the final phase of the Thunder project, a system designed to significantly elevate the precision and effectiveness of our Armed Forces."

While specific details about the project are not currently available, Vyunnyk suggested that addressing the prevalent communication challenges between clients and end users could expedite the integration of new weaponry into the military arsenal. He stated, "This will indeed mark a breakthrough, which will at least help us understand the requirements better. The next step involves formalizing specific ideas into operational and tactical demands, essentially enabling progress within a more structured framework."

The CEO pointed out that arms manufacturers are confronted with the task of independently defining the constants of tactical and technical characteristics for their developments and then refining them. However, he cautioned that there is a risk that such products might end up having limited applicability post-development.

The introduction of the Silent Thunder loitering munition unmanned aerial system was first announced in 2019. The project primarily aims to engage targets such as radar systems, electronic warfare and reconnaissance systems, communication and control components, as well as ammunition depots, among others.