Ukraine creates unique tactical UAV Backfire

In Lviv, the development team told Espreso about the UAV's features, its operation, and what is needed for wider production.

The Backfire tactical UAV operates deep behind enemy lines, with a range of 35 km, and carries a payload of 3.6 kg.

"We have been developing the Backfire unmanned aerial vehicle for over a year, and we have been using it for over six months, constantly updating and improving it," says Ilia Shpolianskyi, commander of the Angry Birds, junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "We can now record a high level of its electronic warfare resistance, which is very important at the front. For 7 months of combat work at the front, we have not lost a single device in the enemy territory."

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The main advantage of the device is its fully autonomous operation. Due to the fact that it does not have any communication channel that would transmit information back and forth,it is not visible to enemy electronic warfare equipment.

"Before the flight starts, a mission program is loaded into it, it flies according to this mission, bombs what is specified, and returns to the programmed location, and this location may be completely different from the place of departure. This helps to protect the pilots. The only moment of danger during operation is the moment of launch. But before something hits there, the pilot has time to get in the car and drive away," explains Svitlana Titova, project logistician and sailor of the Ukrainian Navy.

Backfire flies at an altitude of up to 1 km and at speeds of up to 84 km/h. It is also virtually silent, unlike many other drones. It carries two cluster munitions weighing 1.8 kg each.

A full-fledged unmanned aerial vehicle system for the front line consists of three Backfire strike vehicles, a launching station and a ground control station, as well as a specially equipped vehicle. Its cost will be USD 90,000.

However, the development team has not yet received any funding from the state for either production or operation of the systems. All the processes of development, testing, and combat missions are funded by concerned Ukrainians who have already donated about USD 350,000 to the project. This also includes the work of the unit itself.

"Currently, our team has not received a single penny of funding from the state, except for the salaries of the military. We almost entirely refuel at our own expense, repair our own vehicles, manufacture drones, and purchase components. Of course, against the backdrop of spending 150 million on various stadiums and paving, it looks just awful. A very large number of combat officers, commanders of UAV strike units, and commanders of unmanned aerial vehicles are already saying out loud that we are starting to lose the war to Russia's drones," emphasizes Shpolianskyi.

At the same time, the price of the Ukrainian complex is much lower than the cost of Western analogs. In addition, there are very few Western analogs that have EMI-resistant electronic equipment. They are practically nonexistent.

The Backfire is designed in such a way that enemy electronic warfare and signals intelligence systems operating from the ground cannot detect it and jam its signal.

"All the parts we use are certified. We buy all the electronics in Europe, and the rest of the parts are made entirely in Ukraine. Even though we have to wait longer for European parts, it allows us to be sure that everything will work the way we need it to," says Svitlana Titova.

Currently, the team is in the process of manufacturing 5 new Backfire systems, but this requires considerable funding. That's why the Hero of Ukraine charitable foundation, headed by Ilia Shpolianskyi, which has been involved in the UAV project and supporting the work of the Angry Birds since its inception, has launched a fundraising campaign for UAH 18 million. Anyone who cares can support it to speed up the delivery of these much-needed devices to Ukrainian soldiers.

You can donate any amount you like here.

All photos provided by the Hero of Ukraine charitable foundation and the Angry Birds unmanned aerial vehicle detachment.