According to Business Insider, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has just announced a plan to increase domestic production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on a record scale to cope with the situation of intermittent supply of missiles and artillery from the West.
Mr. Zelensky also emphasized the important role of UAVs in defending territory, preserving troop numbers and preventing enemy attacks. “Drones have changed the nature of war, and these changes are far from over,” he added.
In this context, Ukraine announced the establishment of a special UAV unit, named Typhoon, in June 2024 but refused to disclose the number of members for security reasons.
When it was first launched, some members of the unit appeared publicly with the UAV in a video shared on social media.
The Typhoon commander, who uses the nickname Michael, said the unit plays an important role in the Ukrainian National Guard, with the mission of “developing and deploying special UAV expertise on the battlefield.”
Michael continued to share that the unit gathers elite personnel, including engineers capable of quickly analyzing and developing equipment, and potential pilots.
When recruiting, Typhoon prioritizes those who can learn quickly and adapt to the ever-changing battlefield.
Up to now, Typhoon is still actively recruiting new members, including gamers.
Commander Michael explained that gamers are used to reacting quickly to situations on screen, just like when flying a UAV. “They have experience making quick decisions, reacting quickly, and controlling complex systems. All of these are important skills in combat,” Michael said.
One Typhoon pilot noted that, although the operation is similar to playing a shooting video game, the biggest difference is that “there is no replay button.”
The Typhoon representative emphasized that when deployed, UAVs are not simply controlled to fly straight to the target, pilots must calculate to avoid the enemy as well as countermeasures when detected and attacked again. Decisions are only considered "in a split second".
This means that if a pilot fails to engage in combat using a UAV on the battlefield, he or she may even have to pay with his or her life.
