Pro-Russian social media sources reported that since the beginning of September, Ukrainian and American employees of drone manufacturer Skydio have opened a training center in Ukraine for future operators of their latest X10D drone.
The device requires advanced training due to its complex control requirements and the artificial intelligence components it uses to automatically recognize vehicles and personnel. Ukrainian operators are more familiar with commercial drones made in China by DJI and Autel Robotic, which are simpler and more intuitive to use. What makes the X10D special is its resistance to interference. It was developed based on information from the Ukrainian front and automatically changes transmission frequencies thanks to an artificial intelligence algorithm that detects enemy electronic warfare systems in its vicinity.
Theoretical training is conducted at the newly opened center, while practical training takes place at the 142nd Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) training center in the Zhytomyr region. Since the beginning of the conflict, this center has provided all training to SOF intelligence and reconnaissance specialists.
Led by CEO Adam Bry, Skydio is also using the Ukrainian conflict to test its latest artificial intelligence components for surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and signals intelligence (SIGINT). Since the beginning of Russian operations in Ukraine, the company has been working with the SSO on the supply of tactical quadcopter drones. This relationship has long been established through various training courses and exercises organized by the 10th US Special Forces Group. This iconic unit, using Skydio drones, has been training Ukrainians in Poland since 2022.
Skydio developed a strategy to recruit former US and British special forces operators and it paid dividends in Ukraine. These instructors have the most advanced experience in drone operations, attacking precise targets and using NATO Command, Control, Communications and Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) interfaces. However, the drone manufacturer’s image took a hit in the winter of 2023 after its drones repeatedly crashed due to intense interference from Russian forces.
Graziella Giangiulio
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