Ukrainian company Skyeton, which manufactures ACS-3/Raybird-3 reconnaissance systems, has launched production in Slovakia. The company’s founder, Oleksandr Stepura, told Militarnyi that investments in the factory have reached $3.5 million.
Raybird systems have been in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2018. One system, which includes three aircraft, a portable ground control station, an antenna system, a launcher, as well as a camera, a photo camera, and radars, costs $1.2 million.
Raybird can stay in the air for 28 hours and cover a distance of up to 2500 km at an altitude of up to 4500 m. Only five companies in the world can produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with similar characteristics, but their products are more expensive than the Ukrainian ones.
From February 2022 to May 2024, Ukraine’s defense forces ordered more than 75 reconnaissance systems from Skyeton. Production of Raybird UAVs in Slovakia began in the spring of 2024.
Today, Skyeton’s Ukrainian facilities are capable of producing approximately 100 systems per year, while Ukrainian troops require 140 systems annually. The Slovak plant can manufacture 25 reconnaissance systems in 12 months, and after closing an investment round, the capacity will be increased fourfold.
Due to martial law, Raybird systems cannot be exported abroad. The plant in Slovakia is not subject to these restrictions, which opens up more opportunities for the global market.
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