How much can a high-quality drone cost and is it possible to save money in this case?

Let’s take a closer look at each parameter to understand what you can really save on and what consequences saving on important elements can have.

Also, cheap batteries often have poor battery assembly:

Saving on batteries can lead to:

In expensive batteries:

Cheap drone

Cheap drones use no-name motors from no-name manufacturers. Such drones usually have a high reject rate and low reliability, which can lead to the drone falling on its own position or near the operator.

So we are recording the consequences of using cheap motors in the drone:

Cheap drone

No name manufacturer, which means no predictable quality. Low maximum power of the video transmitter, which affects the flight range. Low reliability of the video transmitter. Heating and, consequently, power loss during operation can lead to the inability to carry out a combat flight at the distance declared by the manufacturer.

Let’s record the consequences of using a cheap video transmitter:

Cheap drone

Cheap drones have poor quality frame elements, poor assembly, which affects its rigidity and, consequently, the flight characteristics of the device, and this leads to poor drone control, which will reduce the likelihood of hitting the target.

We record the effects of saving on the frame:

Cheap drone

Cheap drones often use standard antennas for non-standard frequencies, which reduces the efficiency of communication between the transmitter and receiver.

High-quality drones use an antenna emitter of an original design, which increases the sensitivity of reception and, accordingly, the quality of device control in conditions of radio jamming.

Control antenna

Cheap drones use standard frequencies from the manufacturer, which can be easily jammed by electronic warfare. This can lead to the impossibility of performing a combat mission and the inability to carry out a combat flight at the distance declared by the manufacturer.

High-quality drones use branded antennas that provide high sensitivity and reliability of communication.

Cheap drone

Cheap drones often use no-name cameras. They often have poor image quality, a smaller viewing angle, and it’s hard to see objects at dusk. Imagine if you have to fly under electronic warfare with such a camera, and the probability of hitting an enemy target is greatly reduced.

Cheap drone

What’s in cheap drones:

Cheap drone

And vice versa for a more expensive drone:

Quality of assembly and soldering

* based on 2000 drones

A cheap drone is not tested and flown before it is sold, so any mistake in the preliminary stages of production can lead to any of the consequences mentioned above. Also, sometimes the military, who have reached their positions, find out that there is a problem only during takeoff, which can mean a disruption of the combat mission and unnecessary time spent overcoming obstacles before takeoff.

Conversely, a more expensive drone undergoes quality control in accordance with the test protocol. Each copter undergoes flight tests with the rejection of products of inadequate quality. Sometimes drones fall and crash during overflights due to a lack of components, which is also an additional cost. But in this case, the military receives a working drone and does not have to test it before the mission – just take it and fly it.

Quality control (overflights)

* based on 2000 drones

A cheap drone may not be packed in any way, or it may be packed in an individual box, but it is not fixed in any way, or several drones may be packed in one box. In this case, the integrity of the product or components may be compromised during transportation.

A better quality drone comes in an individual cardboard box, which prevents damage to the product during transportation. The drone and the battery are securely fastened with ties or the box structure itself. The package should include instructions and a test report, as well as manufacturer and support contacts.

Packaging

* based on 2000 drones

A cheap drone uses standard firmware that does not take into account all the features of the product configuration and does not allow it to be used with maximum efficiency. This can lead to poor drone controllability, which will reduce the likelihood of hitting the target. Sometimes cheap drones are delivered without firmware at all, and the military needs to spend additional time on firmware.

For more expensive drones, the manufacturer supplies firmware that takes into account all the configuration features and allows the drone to be used as efficiently as possible. The firmware is adapted to the specific tasks in which the product is used

Firmware quality

* based on 2000 drones

Cheap drones are often delivered to the frontline in a single pile, without manufacturer contacts, without technical support contacts. The military cannot get advice and are left to deal with the problems that arise. Due to the lack of manufacturer’s contacts, it is also impossible to give feedback on the products and report on the need for changes. This can lead to the inability to carry out a combat mission due to problems with the setup.

More expensive drones have 24/7 service and technical support, repair and replacement of faulty products, modernization and adaptation of the product to specific customer tasks. All of this allows us to be in constant contact with the military, improve our own products and provide the right products to the front line.

Service and support

* based on 2000 drones

Lower-cost drones use standard communication protocols. Standard protocols can be intercepted or suppressed by EW, which can lead to the loss of the drone and the failure of the combat mission.

A more expensive drone uses non-standard frequencies along with standard communication protocols, with the technology of PFRT (pseudo-random frequency hopping), which makes the drone resistant to EW and control interception. However, such developments require qualified specialized personnel, such as programmers, communications engineers, etc.

Communication protocols

 * based on 2000 drones

Cheaper drones often don’t have comprehensive solutions, which can lead to time wasted when setting up devices from different manufacturers.

For more expensive and high-quality drones, the manufacturer offers a range of additional equipment (base stations, airborne repeaters, etc.) that will be guaranteed to communicate with the supplied product in accordance with the frequencies and standards of communication protocols, but all these developments also require additional separate personnel and costs.

Ecosystem

 * based on 2000 drones

If you put it all together, you can see that a cheap drone can be bought for about 12100 UAH, and a high-quality one for 20400 UAH.

* based on 2000 drones

Let’s take a look at the consequences of using low-quality components in the production of a drone:

Let’s summarize the results.

As we’ve seen, skimping on drones can lead to serious problems on the battlefield, from the inability to complete combat missions to risking the lives of operators. While high-quality drones are more expensive, they guarantee reliability, efficiency, and safety.

In a war where every detail matters, investing in quality drones is an investment in the safety of our military, the development of unmanned technologies and our Victory!

The choice is yours!