Ukraine has created the first drone for evacuating wounded people from the front line. It is already being tested

Ukrainian defense company “SkyFall” has developed “StarGate”, an aerial drone for evacuating wounded soldiers from dangerous areas of the front. It has already been handed over to a combat brigade for testing in real frontline conditions.

This is stated in a report by the Associated Press (AP).

“StarGate” can carry up to 150 kilograms, enough for a wounded soldier in a body armor and equipment. The droneʼs evacuation cabin is built around a medical stretcher.

The drone has a flight range of up to 15 kilometers one way and can reach speeds of up to 105 kmph. It can be prepared for flight in about 10 minutes.

“SkyFall” told reporters that the idea to create such a drone came from the military. Last year, the commander of the 475th separate assault regiment, call sign "Flint", turned to “SkyFall” with a request to find a safer way to evacuate the wounded from hard-to-reach positions.

Ground-based robots are increasingly being used for this purpose, but they are hampered by mud, potholes, damaged roads, mines and rivers. According to the military, it can take a ground robot two to three hours to reach a position.

"To cover 10 kilometers in a few minutes would be a radical change on the front," said one of the commanders of the 475th Infantry Regiment.

One of the main challenges for developers is the operation of the drone in conditions of electronic warfare. “StarGate” uses two communication channels — “Starlink” and its own “SkyFall” L-Link system, as well as functions based on artificial intelligence. They should help the drone fly without GPS or in conditions of signal jamming.

If communication is lost completely, the drone can navigate its way back to a safe area on its own. It is also equipped with thermal imaging cameras for nighttime operation and can fly in rain and snow.

The estimated cost of one complex will be at least $50 000, depending on the configuration. By the end of 2026, “SkyFall” wants to produce up to a thousand such drones per month.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.