Janes Article: UK UAV maker reveals its craft in use by Ukrainian armed forces since 2023

Ukraine is operating the UK-developed Windracers Uncrewed Low-cost Transport (ULTRA) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Janes has learnt.

ULTRA is a tactical UAV designed to support resupply. Speaking to Janes on 4 April, Simon Muderack, the CEO of Windracers and Distributed Avionics, revealed that its UAV has been conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and supporting resupply for the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2023.

Although Muderack did not specify exact dates or the number of aircraft provided, Janes understands the UK Ministry of Defence procured the aircraft on behalf of the Ukrainian armed forces, supplying it as aid. A defence source told Janes the procurement and supply of ULTRA is part of the UK’s GBP325 million (USD413 million) UAV support programme to Ukraine.

Watch: How Windracers is scaling to meet demand

For the first time, Windracers ULTRA was on display at the Griffin Tech Days event in Finland, supported by NORCE, an independent scientific research institute based in Norway, who use Windracers ULTRA aircraft for scientific survey missions in the Antarctic.

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