Unboxing the V2U AI Drone: Most Components Made in China

Specialists of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine conducted an analysis of the internal components of the new Russian V2U drone.

This information was officially posted on the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine’s website.

While examining the new Russian strike drone, which incorporates advanced artificial intelligence software, experts identified that the vast majority of its components originate from China.

Chinese components were identified in the propulsion system, specifically in the brushless motor manufactured by Shanghai Dualsky Models, the circuit board produced by Leetoptech, the electronic speed controller from T-MOTOR, and other components.

In addition to the predominantly Chinese components, smaller quantities of parts from other countries were also identified, including a light-sensitive sensor from Sony (Japan), an electromagnetic relay from TE Connectivity (Ireland), a microcontroller from Switzerland, and a dual-band wireless adapter and computer module from the United States.

Combining these components enables the drone to achieve relatively good performance characteristics.

The V2U has a wingspan of 1.2 meters, a payload capacity of up to 3.5 kg, an electric motor, a cruising speed of 60 km/h, and a flight duration of up to 1 hour. Communication is maintained via a two-way LTE channel, a 34 Ah battery supplies power, and the artificial intelligence system is responsible for object recognition and can automatically guide the munition to the target.

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine notes that the computing system is based on the Chinese mini-computer Leetop A203, which uses a high-speed assembly featuring an NVIDIA Jetson Orin as the central processing unit.

Another rather interesting solution was using only a single GPS module, which likely indicates the Russians’ abandonment of satellite navigation due to the operation of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.

Instead, the main emphasis is placed on the Microdrive Tandem-4GS-OEM-11 modem-router, which operates with a SIM card from a Ukrainian mobile operator; navigation is also presumably assisted by computer vision—the drone compares images from its camera with preloaded photographs of the terrain.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Russians have started deploying a new S8000 Banderol cruise missile launched from drones, which contains a significant number of foreign components.

Specialists from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine have already analyzed the new cruise missile and identified components originating from countries such as China, Japan, the United States, and South Korea.