A modified commercial drone can cost less than a mid-range mobile phone and still be able to destroy armored vehicles valued in millions. Hence, in recent conflicts, these systems are being lost at such a rate that their production is closer to an industrial logic than to the traditional manufacture of weapons itself.
Ukraine has now taken another leap.
Being autonomous in the middle of war. Yes, I counted a few days ago the new york times that Ukraine has achieved a relevant milestone in its military industry, and it has done so by developing drones capable of operating practically without direct components from China.
It is not a trivial topic. In fact, progress does not arise from comfort, but from the strategic need to reduce dependencies in a context total war. The transition reflects a profound change in the way weapons are produced, one where self-sufficiency becomes as decisive an advantage as combat performance itself.
Drones and figures. Ukraine had opened numerous russian drones finding inside a skeleton of technologies and raw materials that came, on the one hand, from their supposed “allies”and on the other from china. Ukraine now hopes that no one tells it the same.
The conflict has elevated drones to an unprecedented industrial scale, to the point that they are already attributed more than 90% of Russian casualties according to Ukrainian commanders. In addition, production has also skyrocketed: companies like Ukrainian Defense Drones manufacture up to 15,000 antennas per dayand the use of cheap drones of about $500 has become a key tool to balance the scales against an enemy superior in resources. This logic requires manufacturing in large quantities, assuming high loss rates in missions, and prioritizing volume and speed over perfection.
Reduce dependency piece by piece. From that perspective, the advance towards “China-free” drones is progressive and partial, but significant. In just one year, Ukraine has gone from depending almost entirely on Chinese components to reducing that proportion to around 38%replacing key parts such as structures, controllers, antennas or transmission systems.
This process has involved rebuilding entire supply chains and developing our own technical capabilities in record time, with European support to fill critical gaps.
The real limits of independence. With everything and despite the advances, total autonomy remains complex. There are materials such as carbon, batteries or certain electronic components that still depend on global chains. dominated by Chinaeven when assembled outside its territory.
This reveals an uncomfortable reality, since completely eliminating that dependency is not viable in the short term, especially when the cost remains a decisive factor in a war where thousands of units are constantly needed.
Production, war and negotiation. They noted in the Times that the development of its own industry not only responds to immediate military needs, it also has political implications. Ukraine thus seeks to strengthen its position in ffuture negotiations demonstrating that it can sustain its war effort without depending on third parties. At the same time, diversifying suppliers reduces China’s pressure capacity, introducing a new balance in the global supply chain.
Constant innovation. Practically since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, the pace of technological adaptation in Ukraine has been breaking with traditional defense schemes.
Drone designs are updated monthlyif not before, based on their performance on the front, in a continuous cycle of trial, trial, error and improvement. In short, a model that, driven by the urgency and human cost of conflict, is redefining how military technologies are developed in the 21st century, and where half the planet is asking he source code to copy it.
Image | Lycksele-Nord, Maxim Subotin
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