Six propellers whir, lift a drone above a field somewhere in Ukraine. A weighted stretcher attached to its frame simulates a wounded soldier in bulletproof vest.
Far from the front line, the demonstration offers a glimpse of a much more dangerous mission: flying on a battlefield where enemy drones and artillery can leave injured troops stranded for weeks or months, then transport them to safety without an evacuation team.
The Associated Press was granted exclusive access to a field demonstration of the drone. This week, StarGate was handed over to a combat brigade for evaluation in front-line conditions.
The antenna sanitary evacuation The drone was developed over the past year by Ukrainian defense technology SkyFall company. If it proves reliable in combat, it could transform battlefield evacuations, reaching soldiers in places inaccessible to ground vehicles and potentially saving those so seriously injured that hours of waiting could cost them their lives.
“The idea came straight from the front line, from the trenches,” said the SkyFall spokesperson, who requested anonymity due to security risks facing Ukrainian military technology personnel. He spoke to AP wearing a balaclava. The AP was not authorized to release the location of the test.
In some areas, the so-called kill zone – the area constantly threatened by drones and artillery – extends 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) or more. StarGate has a one-way range of 15 kilometers, potentially allowing it to reach critically injured soldiers trapped deep in the kill zone.
A request from a military commander
The idea arose from a military request, the spokesperson said. Last year, Flint, commander of the 475th Separate Assault Regiment, known as Code 9.2, contacted the founder of SkyFall to develop a safer way to evacuate injured soldiers from hard-to-reach positions.
For Code 9.2 troops, reaching a frontline position to recover casualties may mean traveling on foot through areas where vehicles are vulnerable to drones. Unmanned ground vehicles play a growing role in evacuating the wounded and delivering supplies, but they struggle in mud, craters and destroyed roads. Rivers, mines and drones can stop them completely.
Ground robots typically take two to three hours to reach a position, depending on distance, road conditions and the threat from above, said KVN, a Code 9.2 commander.
“Covering 10 kilometers in a few minutes would represent a radical change on the front line,” he said.
Evacuations continue regularly in the area where his unit is located, he explained, but it is not always possible to recover an injured soldier the same day. For a seriously injured person, the wait can be critical.
Flint and KVN were identified only by their call signs, in accordance with Ukrainian military protocol.
SkyFall emerged after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and became a Ukrainian drone manufacturer. Its Vampire heavy drone, known to Russian forces as “Baba Yaga,” is used by Ukrainian troops for battlefield missions. The company also makes first-person view Shrike drones and has developed the P1-SUN aerial interceptor.
Named after the science fiction franchise in which portals connect distant worlds, StarGate can carry a payload of up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds), according to the company, or enough for an injured soldier wearing body armor and carrying combat equipment. Its medical evacuation cabin is built around a stretcher.
The drone cruises at 65 km/h (40 mph) and can reach speeds of up to 105 km/h (65 mph). SkyFall claims it can be prepared for flight in about 10 minutes.
Dueling drone tests
At the testing ground, StarGate takes off as first-person view drones zoom toward it, simulating the aerial threats dominating the Ukrainian front line. Electronic jamming is activated. As an attacking drone draws closer, a net shoots out, trapping it and knocking it off course.
The encounter resembles a futuristic duel led by machines. But transporting an injured soldier raises the stakes.
One of SkyFall’s biggest challenges was ensuring the drone could navigate when electronic warfare disrupted communications or interfered with GPS signals. StarGate uses two communication channels – Starlink and the company’s proprietary L-Link system – as well as an artificial intelligence-based system to help it maintain control when satellite navigation is not available.
The drone is piloted manually, but has several AI functions that allow it to operate in environments where GPS is denied or where signals are spoofed or frequencies are jammed, the spokesperson said.
If communication is completely lost, SkyFall explains, the drone can plot a route to a safe area. It is designed to operate in rain and snow, with thermal cameras for nighttime missions.
SkyFall also claims to have demonstrated the drone’s ability to continue flying after losing one of its arms. The company has not provided data showing how reliably it can resist damage in combat conditions. The drone began frontline testing this week.
From prototype to combat-ready drone
StarGate has undergone numerous design changes, including detachable arms for easier transportation, a medical-grade stretcher, and improved software and defenses.
The company estimates each system will cost at least $50,000, depending on configuration, and aims to produce up to 1,000 per month by the end of 2026.
For KVN, however, it is too early to judge. His unit needs at least a month of experience with the drone before it can provide meaningful statistics on its success rate.
“It’s a completely new method of evacuation,” he said. “It’s difficult to talk in depth about the pros and cons at the moment. We need to work with this more.”
SkyFall confirmed the unit was evaluating StarGate but declined to disclose the results.
___
Follow AP coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Gn world
