POLIFLY, a Ukrainian defense company, is developing a Cooper drone similar to the Shahed, made from high‑quality polyurethane.
According to the Ukrainian portal Militarnyi, the new drone was presented by POLIFLY during the Brave1 Components Exhibition.
The company stated that the polyurethane production technology makes it possible to combine three essential advantages for any drone: low cost, high performance, and scalability.
The material turned out to be not only cheaper than three‑component composites, but also 19% lighter without losing strength. The drone was also described as superior in convenience, performance and reliability.
As a result, POLIFLY created the Cooper attack drone, which uses an aerodynamic design similar to the Shahed drone. The device is equipped with a rear pusher engine and has a wingspan of 1.2 meters. Its body is made entirely of reinforced polyurethane.
The drone is capable of carrying a payload of up to 5.5 kg and hitting targets at a distance of more than 90 kilometers. Meanwhile, the launch system uses a catapult, and navigation is based on autopilot and GPS, making it autonomous and easy to deploy.
The Cooper is compatible with an off‑the‑shelf ground control station that operates at distances of up to 35 kilometers without external communication channels, which facilitates integration with existing military infrastructure.
Regarding strike capability, the Cooper drone can be equipped with different types of warheads: thermobaric, high‑explosive, or cumulative. This customization makes it a versatile tool for engaging a wide range of targets.
Combining light weight, low cost and reliability, polyurethane unmanned aerial vehicle production technology may become one of the key solutions for supplying attack drones to the front line at the required scale.
“With only three sets of molds, up to 700 shells can be produced per month—four and a half times more than with the classic composite scheme. The available production capacity now allows us to produce up to 200 shells per month,” the company stated.
Photo: POLIFLY. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
