Ukrainian forces reportedly used SYPAQ Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System, or PPDS, drones as loitering munitions to carry out an attack on an undisclosed Russian airfield.
The SYPAQ PPDS drone boasts an operational range of up to 120 kilometers (74 miles), 3 kilograms of payload, and a cruise speed of 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles per hour).
But what makes the PPDS stand out is that it is primarily made from a material similar to cardboard. It is a low-cost, expendable platform that can be transported as a small package and assembled rapidly with minimal tools. Its composition also makes it harder to detect by radar systems.
In May 2023, the Melbourne-based company reported having delivered the system to Ukraine.
“It is an honor to be supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” SYPAQ CEO Amanda Holt said at the time. “PPDS is an Australian capability that will help the Ukrainian people defend their country.”
AeroTime has sent a request for comment to SYPAQ.
The first use of the PPDS by the Ukrainian military was reported on August 27, 2023, by the Fighterbomber Telegram channel, which is run by a person associated with the Russian Air Force.
“Tonight, [Ukrainians] used them in a swarm, mixing drones with warheads with empty drones,” the post read. “I don’t know exactly what engines were on the drones, but if they were electric-powered, then they were not launched from Ukraine.”
Though the exact location of the strikes was not shared, both Ukraine and Russia reported a drone attack on Kursk Vostochny Airfield the same day.
An insider from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told Kyiv Post that a significant quantity of drones was deployed, resulting in the claimed destruction of four Su-30 aircraft and one MiG-29. Additionally, two missile launchers belonging to a Pantsir air defense system, as well as the radars of an S-300 air defense system, were reportedly damaged.
The Russian news agency TASS reported that “aircraft-type UAVs” were intercepted by Russian air defense systems over Kursk, with one drone causing damage to an apartment building.
Kursk Airfield is located 97 kilometers (60 miles) away from the Ukrainian border.
