The Russian fiber-optic drone "Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky" will become localized. The Research and Production Center (NPTs) "Ushkuynik" is switching to electronics entirely of its own design and manufacture, the company's chief designer said.
According to him, even the FPV camera will be domestically made. At the same time, the goal is not only to achieve complete independence, but also to reduce the price.
We will also update the onboard electronics by adding new functionality, which we hope operators will appreciate. Overall, the plan for 2026 is to achieve maximum localization of production so as not to depend on imported supplies.
Aleksei Chadayev, CEO of NPTs "Ushkuynik," previously stated that "Knyaz Vandal" was first used in the role of a "waiter" for ambushes. For this purpose, the drone's range was increased thanks to reels with greater reach.
War correspondent Alexander Kots said that enterprises in Russia received a huge order for the production of fiber-optically controlled drones for 2026. He did not provide details, but admitted that this figure is staggering.