Ukraine Begins Mass Production of 30-Kilometer Fiber-Optic Drone Reel

Ukrainian company 3DTech, which specializes in manufacturing various types of FPV drones, told Defense Express that its new 25- and 30-kilometer-range signal reels have successfully passed internal tests and are now in full-scale production, the outlet reported on May 1.

According to the company, official trials for product codification and approval for use by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are scheduled for early May.

This is also reportedly the first domestically produced 30-kilometer cable reel in Ukraine. CEO Oleksii Zhulynskyi emphasized that both the production and winding of all reels are fully localized within the country, with only raw materials being imported.

Additionally, Zhulynskyi noted that ready-made Chinese reels often suffer from factory defects that are extremely difficult to detect. Producing and winding the reels in Ukraine allows for quality control at every stage of manufacturing, significantly reducing the risk of line breaks during frontline use.

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War in Ukraine

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Fiber-optic drones are rapidly gaining popularity in Ukraine, but most mass-produced models currently have a range of no more than 20 kilometers, far short of what battlefield conditions demand. That’s why 3DTech engineers have spent recent months developing new reels designed to bridge this gap and meet the evolving needs of frontline operations.

3DTech also reported that all five variants of its fiber-optic FPV drones, branded “Khyzhak REBOFF”, with ranges of 10 to 20 kilometers and built on 10- to 13-inch frames, successfully passed codification trials back in January. These drones have now officially received their product codes.

On April 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced significant progress in the country’s drone production capabilities, citing the addition of over 20 new certified fiber-optic-controlled drone models since the beginning of the year.

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