The Ukrainian company DG Industry has unveiled a new version of the Shpatel drone, originally developed to act as a decoy against air defense systems.
According to the website Defence Blog, the new model was displayed during the Brave1 Advantage event, focused on Ukraine’s defense industry. The model has been adapted to carry out long-range strikes while maintaining low production costs and expanding its versatility on the battlefield.
Now classified as a medium-range system (middle strike), the new version can carry a warhead of up to 8 kg, reach targets up to 250 kilometers away, and fly at speeds of up to 130 km/h.
According to the manufacturer, the drone has also received an updated control system, allowing it to be used both in strike missions and as a communications relay platform to extend the range of other drones in operation.
“Thanks to the updated control system, we can use this aircraft for different missions. It can serve as a relay, circling at an altitude of more than 1 km, or as a strike drone,” a representative of DG Industry told the Ukrainian outlet Oboronka.
The Shpatel was initially created to saturate and confuse enemy air defenses, forcing the use of interceptor missiles or revealing the position of radars. With the adaptation, the platform now also offers offensive capability against light vehicles, military equipment, fuel depots, and other smaller targets.
According to DG Industry, the new model costs around US$5,000, a price similar to that of the decoy version. The strategy follows the trend of Ukraine’s defense industry to rapidly adapt existing systems to create low-cost weapons for large-scale production, reducing the time between development and battlefield deployment.
Photo: oboronka.mezha.ua. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
