Ukrainian Mercury Drone Presented at Defense Tech Valley Exhibition

Aviation New Technologies presented the Mercury vertical takeoff and landing reconnaissance drone.

The representatives of the company told Militarnyi about the features of the new drone.

The drone system developed by the Ukrainian company is designed for reconnaissance by units operating in conditions where it is impossible to deploy a full-fledged launch pad with a catapult.

The complex, consisting of two drones, a communication antenna and a ground control station, can be deployed by two operators within 15 minutes on a site measuring just 5×5 meters.

It can conduct reconnaissance within a radius of 70 kilometers for three hours or record in autonomous flight without communication with the operator at a range of up to 100 kilometers. For such work, the drones are equipped with a secure satellite navigation system, as well as a redundant inertial system in case of failures in the operation of electronic warfare systems.

The developers say that Mercury can navigate not only using satellite navigation but also relying on a network of ground-based beacons. Thus, the drone can autonomously return to the launch point with an accuracy of 100 meters, after which the operator lands manually.

“The Mercury system is already qualified in the NATO system and has been successfully supplied to the troops. It was used in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia sectors, where our units familiarized themselves with its functionality. The system has also been demonstrated on television and at international events, including in Taiwan,” says Andrii, a representative of Aviation New Technologies.

The developers also emphasize the drone’s ability to operate in adverse conditions. In particular, it can take off and land at wind speeds of up to 15 m/s.

The company also emphasizes the capabilities of the dual-band optical module, which allows for daytime or thermal imaging surveillance at a distance of up to 20 kilometers for vehicles or up to 15 kilometers for infantrymen.

“The drone is fully developed and manufactured by our company in Ukraine. This ensures fast delivery of spare parts and repairs in case of damage. We guarantee replacement or repair of the system within a few weeks, not months,” the developers add.