Drones have become one of the key weapons of the Russia-Ukraine war. From fighter-kill ships tracking missile tanks to cheap quadcopters patrolling enemy trenches, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become ubiquitous to tanks and machine guns. After all, surprise attacks and stealth maneuvers become much more difficult when the enemy is constantly looking at the sky.

But the downside to relying on drones is mass attrition. Slow, low-flying and unarmored drones fall victim to anti-aircraft missiles, anti-aircraft guns, and even machine guns and rifles. Add to this the UAV defences, bad weather, and inexperienced operators, and it’s not surprising that both Russia and Ukraine have lost a large number of drones and are desperately trying to get more out of domestic and foreign resources.

But Ukraine may have found a way out: cardboard drones. Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly using cardboard UAVs manufactured by the Australian company Sypaq. Australian.

“At least 100 drones are delivered to Ukraine every month, allowing President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s forces to drop bombs, deliver supplies and perform vital reconnaissance missions,” the publication said.

The Precision Payload Handling System (PPDS) is a propeller-driven drone that can be mounted with just glue and tape. The photos show an airplane that looks a bit like balsa wood model airplanes, driven by rubber bands. In fact, he writes, “drones are made of thick cardboard with a wax coating and strong rubber bands that secure the wings.” Australian. They are controlled by a military-grade guidance system that requires no user input once the aircraft is launched.

PPDS drones can carry payloads of 3 kilograms (7 lb) and 5 kilograms (11 lb), depending on the model; They can fly 120 kilometers (75 miles). Some PPDS drones have managed to make 60 flights over Ukraine, although they are not made of strong metal or plastic. The cardboard is covered with wax, which allows you to fly in rainy weather.

The drones come folded the size of a pizza box and 24 of them can be packed into one container. “Flat packaging is an important feature,” he said. Australian Ross Osborne, Sypaq Chief Engineer. “We can put them on a pallet. We’ve also developed modular avionics and power plants that we hope can be reused a bit.”

“Given the voracious appetite of modern warfare, drones are likely to become just as expendable as shells or cannonballs.”

The PPDS was originally designed as a simple, easy-to-learn unmanned aerial vehicle for short-range resupply missions for the Australian military (which has not yet purchased UAVs). “While operating without a data connection, it’s obviously tuned and forgotten, and it does a great job of flying from afar, monitoring terrain, and determining the landing and approach pattern given the weather conditions,” Osborne said.

Perhaps the most important for a protracted war of attrition in Ukraine is price. At $1,000-$5,000 ($670-3,350) per drone, the price of a DJI quadcopter is much lower than the $30 million MQ-9 Reaper.