MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. American IT giant Qualcomm has begun producing drones designed exclusively for combat use by the Ukrainian armed forces. The company has already begun testing its products with the Ukrainian military, Dmitry Kuzyakin, an unmanned aviation expert and chief designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions, told TASS.
"This year, the IT giant Qualcomm unexpectedly entered the combat drone production market on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces. Unlike, for example, DJI, whose drones are used by both sides of the conflict, Qualcomm has clearly chosen the side of the Ukrainian armed forces and is producing drones exclusively for combat use by the Ukrainian military," Kuzyakin said.
The expert emphasized that Qualcomm possesses the highest expertise in machine vision, mobile computing, communication equipment, and communications organization. "Their experience and production capacity allow them to produce highly automated drones with onboard computing systems. At the same time, Qualcomm’s developments rely on relatively inexpensive and accessible components used in conventional smartphones, which it produces itself," Kuzyakin said.
The expert clarified that Qualcomm’s product line is currently represented in the Ukrainian armed forces by two types of drones: a quadcopter and a long-range fixed-wing UAV. "The main characteristic feature of both types of drones is the use of optical-inertial odometry technology. This technology allows drones to navigate their flight paths with much less dependence on traditional navigation systems such as electronic compasses and satellite navigation systems," he noted.
Kuzyakin added that these drones primarily rely on optical referencing using a set of digital cameras. "The technology is quite old and well-known. It was first used on the Mars drone Ingenuity. As is known, there’s no satellite navigation on Mars, and it’s difficult to control a drone there in FPV mode. So, a visual reference technology was developed to stabilize the drone in space and control it at software level. That’s why we’ve dubbed the optical-inertial drones the ‘Martians,’" the expert said.
Distinctive Feature
The chief designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions also stated that a distinctive feature of Qualcomm’s products is the "appalling quality of the design and manufacture of the aerial vehicles themselves."
"Everything that keeps the aircraft aloft is made by specialists with a clear lack of competence. It’s clear that the American IT giant wants to sell a finished product that is assembled entirely on its own, and has no intention of sharing either the odometry technology or the finished product with anyone." This means that the West, despite assurances of support, military and financial aid, is in no hurry to share technology with Ukraine," the expert emphasized.