The Czech-Ukrainian company UAC has started producing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Czechia, focusing on supplying them to the Ukrainian military.
With around 80 employees, mostly Ukrainians, the company manufactures a range of drones such as the Leleka-LR reconnaissance drone and the Mace loitering munition, dubbed Ukrainian counterpart of Russia’s Lancet with conceptual and visual similarities.
“In November, we started trial operation, and in April, we started mass production. This is basically a military production, our exclusive customer is the Ukrainian army,” said Pavlo Bulant, the company’s executive director.
Domestically known as Bulava, the drone under the export name Mace was also presented at the recent Eurosatory 2024 military exhibition in Paris.
The Mace loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone, stands out for its adaptability, capable of being fitted with various types of warheads.
These include a HEAT warhead for penetrating armor up to 400mm thick, a high-explosive (HE) warhead for targeting trenches or command posts, and a thermobaric warhead highly effective against enemy personnel.
At a cruising speed of 100 km/h, it can stay in the air for more than 50 minutes, and the motor on the drone is powered by electricity. The wingspan is about 1.6 meters, while the fuselage length is about 1.5 meters.
UAC's strategy includes an annual production and delivery plan of hundreds of reconnaissance and strike drones to the Ukrainian military.
The company achieves nearly full self-sufficiency in its manufacturing processes, relying solely on external suppliers for components like internal combustion and electric motors.
Looking forward, UAC aims to capture a significant portion of the Central European market for medium-sized drones and expand its supply chain to include NATO armed forces and other international customers.
