The Ukrainian company General Cherry has developed a Sweetheart reconnaissance drone capable of flying up to 150 km (94 miles) into enemy territory.
The company states that the drone is resistant to electronic warfare (EW) systems.
“We set ourselves the task of developing a reconnaissance aircraft that would be affordable, easy to use, and at the same time capable of performing complex tasks deep behind enemy lines. That is exactly what our Sweetheart is,”
Yaroslav Hryshyn, founder of the General Cherry Company, shared.
One of the key advantages of the new drone is that it does not require additional launch equipment. Sweetheart is launched by hand, without the need for catapults or special launch systems.
The drone weighs only 4 kg, has a wingspan of 1.7 meters, and can remain in the air for up to three hours while operating at a range of up to 150 km.
The UAV is equipped with digital video communication, a steerable camera with zoom, and a laser rangefinder. The developers placed particular emphasis on protecting communication systems from enemy interference.
Another feature is acoustic stealth: at an altitude of 50-70 meters, the drone is practically inaudible from the ground, making it difficult to detect.
The company also emphasizes affordability. The estimated cost of a single system will be approximately one-sixth of that of most existing reconnaissance aircraft in the same class.
“At this cost, the military will not be afraid to lose the aircraft, and in some cases, they will be able to deliberately send it in one direction to obtain critically important intelligence information,”
Yaroslav Hryshyn added.
Sweetheart is currently undergoing combat testing in cooperation with Ukrainian military units. The company expects serial deliveries to begin in the fall of this year.
Source: MILITARNYI