Expensive, fragile, ineffective: American drones have performed poorly in the war in Ukraine

American drones from the Silicon Valley company Skydio have performed poorly in the war in Ukraine — they are expensive to manufacture and repair, but they constantly fail due to Russian electronic warfare.

WSJ collected comments from Skydio representatives, military and officials.

Most of the small drones developed by American startups have failed in combat. And it’s not just Skydio.

American-made drones tend to be expensive, fragile, and difficult to repair, company executives, Ukrainian military officials, and former U.S. defense officials told the publication.

Skydio recognizes this. The company’s CEO says that American drones don’t perform as well as other systems, and that’s a general summary.

It is worth noting that almost 300 American UAV companies have attracted about $2.5 billion in investments over the past two years.

But Ukrainian officials told the WSJ that:

• American-made drones are fragile;
• is unable to overcome Russian jamming and GPS jamming technology;
• sometimes could not take off, fly missions or return;
• often do not fly at the distances stated by manufacturers;
• do not carry significant payloads.

DJI — is in favor. But the company itself is against the war

That’s why Ukraine preferred cheaper Chinese products, primarily those made by SZ DJI Technology.

The WSJ also notes that Ukraine has also developed a domestic drone industry that relies on Chinese components. Ukrainian factories produce hundreds of thousands of small, cheap drones that can carry explosives.

Interestingly, DJI itself has stated that it is trying to limit the use of drones during the war. But it cannot control sales.

«DJI categorically condemns the use of its products to cause harm anywhere in the world», — the statement said.

The US considers DJI to be a company that is somehow controlled by the Chinese authorities. DJI denies this.

That’s why the Pentagon has banned DJI drones from the US military. At the same time, there are restrictions on Chinese components, which makes production more expensive.

What’s next?

The WSJ states that Ukraine has now requested thousands of new Skydio X10 drones.

They can independently switch frequencies as soon as the signal is jammed

They have better navigation capabilities, so they can fly at high altitudes without GPS.

«It’s critical for Skydio, and I think for the U.S. drone industry, that the X10 succeeds on the battlefield in Ukraine. There is no alternative», — summarized Skydio’s CEO.