Solutions to win: Come Back Alive Fund donates Mara reconnaissance drone complex to Ukraine’s intelligence

The other day, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence aerial reconnaissance officers received the Mara aviation reconnaissance complex that can work at low altitudes and in gusty wind conditions, Rubryka reports.

What is the problem?

Aerial reconnaissance officers are the eyes and ears of the army. In times of war, their talents and professional skills to remain invisible to the enemy are invaluable. Information obtained often from the front line can change the course of an important operation. Their activities at the front usually prefer silence and efficiency.

What is the solution?

Air intelligence officers received the Mara aviation intelligence complex from the Come Back Alive fund.

How does it work?

The Mara intelligence complex consists of:

• six drones — three main ones and three more for operational replacement of those lost in battles;
• aerials for flight control.

The total cost of the complex is ₴2,827,639 ($76,088).

Mara is a Ukrainian-made reconnaissance aircraft complex. Its drones can operate at low altitudes and in gusty winds of 20 meters per second. The total weight of the complex is about 20 kg: two drones with a ground control station and antenna are placed in a suitcase.

The defense intelligence reports that such dimensions allow Mara operators to deploy quickly and have maximum mobility. The intelligence complex does not need additional transport.

Since Mara can stay in the air for up to 90 minutes and has sufficient resistance to enemy radio-electronic warfare, these aircraft work effectively behind enemy lines.

UAV production in Ukraine

According to the Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, the Armed Forces of Ukraine already use more than 20 new Ukrainian-made drones.

"We gathered 82 Ukrainian manufacturers. They volunteered to do it, and we've already adopted more than 20 new drones, successfully destroying orcs and their equipment today," said Reznikov.

He noted that the resolution adopted on the initiative of the Ministry of Defense simplified the deployment of Ukrainian drones. According to the minister, manufacturers had to wait about two years for a new drone to be put into service, and now it is three weeks "if you have everything right and you guarantee the quality."

Another breakthrough was the resolution, which increased the share of profit on foreign components during the production of drones to 25%, Reznikov reported.

"The third breakthrough was that we adopted a resolution that simplified and removed all fees for importing components for the development of drones," the minister added.

He also said that Ukraine witnessed a real boom in drone production because the government managed to simplify procedures for developers and manufacturers of weapons and military equipment.

The Ukrainian government, Cabinet of Ministers, also allocated ₴40 billion ($1 billion) this year for investments in Ukrainian drone manufacturers. On July 21, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution "On the implementation of an experimental project on the production, procurement, and supply of ammunition for unmanned systems and combat units of unmanned systems."