The extended-range Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky fiber-optic drone has lower combat efficiency than standard models, the general director of Russian developer Ushkuynik said in comments to state news agency TASS.
Alexey Chadaev, general director of the Ushkuynik Research and Production Centre, said that extending the flight distance of the aircraft inevitably reduces its overall performance.
Chadaev explained that the thin line unspooled by the drone creates an added risk of breakage with every additional kilometre flown. As a result, the statistical indicators for a 40-kilometre model are lower than those of a 15-kilometre version, specifically regarding the percentage of drones that reach their target.
He added that the lower success rate is compensated for by the high tactical significance of the targets struck at greater distances behind enemy lines.
Fiber-optic drone technology
First-person view drones are lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles piloted by operators who monitor real-time video transmitted from an onboard camera. Standard FPV drones transmit guidance commands and video streams over radio frequencies.
By contrast, fiber-optic models like the Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky, often abbreviated as KVN, unspool a micro-thin line of fiber-optic cable behind them as they fly. This physical tether provides a direct cable connection to the ground station.
The physical cable renders the aircraft immune to electronic warfare systems, which normally block radio control frequencies to disable incoming drones. However, the delicate tether also creates physical vulnerabilities, as longer lines are more susceptible to snapping under strain or catching on obstacles during flight.
Deployment in Ukraine conflict
Chadaev said that millions of Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky drones have already been delivered to forces in the special military operation zone in Ukraine. Special military operation is the official Russian term for the military campaign in Ukraine.
In August, Chadaev stated that the Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky had become the most effective drone deployed in the conflict zone. The Ushkuynik Research and Production Centre is a Russian technology enterprise that specializes in designing and manufacturing unmanned aerial systems for combat applications.
