Sergeant Serg Marco on his experience using Shark reconnaissance UAVs on the front line

Sergeant Oleksandr Karpiuk, call-sign Serg Marco, of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade of USF shared his experience of operating Shark drones produced by Ukrainian manufacturer UkrSpecSystems.

According to the serviceman, the upgraded Shark has become a “workhorse”, continuously performing missions both day and night and demonstrating consistently high results. Shark drones, he said, played a decisive role in repelling the Russian offensive on Avdiivka. Intelligence provided by three crews made it possible to detect the movement of Russian columns and to correct strikes against them.

Among the principal advantages are the high quality of the optics, both daytime and thermal, and an endurance of up to six hours’ flight. This, he said, enables operations at greater speeds and altitudes without the risk of power loss.

In addition, the drone is already fitted with a Silvus transmitter, removing the need for further technical modification. “It’s a ready product that you simply take out of the box, launch — and it works excellently,” Karpiuk concluded.

Previously, Defender Media reported that UkrSpecSystems manufactures the Shark-M and Mini Shark drones, as well as multipurpose PD-2E unmanned systems. The Shark-M is described as a tactical platform with a range of up to 180 km and an endurance of up to seven hours, equipped with protected communications, a guidance system and a signal-relay function for other UAVs, including strike platforms.