New Russian drone consists entirely of Chinese components
Despite China's official statements about its neutrality in the war in Ukraine, the reality is somewhat different. A new Russian decoy drone that has recently fallen into the hands of Ukrainian experts turned out to be entirely assembled from Chinese components. Moreover, all the components are from the same company - CUAV Technology manufactures everything for the Russians: the autopilot, navigation, communication, wind speed measurement and other key elements.
Here's What We Know
The drone is designed to mimic Shahed-136 attack drones in the air, and to expose and distract Ukrainian air defence systems. The drone has a delta wing design similar to the Shahed-136, but is much smaller. It uses a Luneberg lens, which increases the effective scattering area, causing radars to see it as a threat. Although the decoy does not usually carry explosives, it is designed to lure missiles and disguise Ukrainian air defence positions. However, the design allows for up to 15 kg of warhead to be placed on board.
The main intrigue is not the drone itself, but the origin of its electronic components. Everything inside comes from the Chinese market. No "purely Russian developments", no "import-substituted modules".
Disassembling the components of the new drone. Illustration: militarnyi.com
China is silent, but the hardware speaks
Formally, Beijing does not support any of the parties to the conflict and claims that it does not supply weapons to the war zone. But, as the analysis of most modern Russian technologies shows, Chinese electronics and components are inside. And while government officials express "concern", modules from Aliexpress and Chinese factories are flying into the Ukrainian sky - in a new role.
In 2022, CUAV Technology announced that it would restrict the supply of its products to Ukraine and Russia to prevent their use for military purposes. But a fully assembled drone shows that this statement is blatantly insincere.
Source: militarnyi.com
