Vyriy Industries Slavic

History

Vyriy Industries Slavic is a Ukrainian multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle developed for tactical reconnaissance, observation, and artillery fire correction. The platform was designed as a domestically produced alternative to commercial reconnaissance quadcopters while retaining a control logic familiar to crews experienced with DJI Mavic-type systems.

Slavic combines a tactical operating range of up to 30 km with flight endurance of up to 1.5 hours. It is designed to allow reconnaissance crews to work farther from the line of contact while providing stabilized daylight imaging, GPS-denied optical positioning, and integrated links to Ukrainian battlefield information systems.

The UAV was publicly presented in 2026 after initial battlefield evaluation. Vyriy Industries subsequently began preparing the platform for expanded production while developing additional payload and relay configurations.

Development

Vyriy Industries developed Slavic in response to the increasing distance between reconnaissance crews and the areas they need to observe. Commercial quadcopters remained widely used for frontline reconnaissance, but their limited endurance and operating range could require crews to work closer to contested areas. Slavic was therefore designed as a specialized tactical platform capable of flying longer and operating farther from its crew.

The design retained familiar multirotor flight controls and automated functions intended to reduce retraining requirements for personnel already experienced with commercial reconnaissance drones. Supported functions include automatic flight to a selected point, altitude and position holding, return to the launch area, and automatic landing. Vyriy Industries states that an experienced Mavic-type pilot can transition to the system within approximately one day.

Testing and production preparation

By September 2026, Slavic had completed initial combat trials with seven units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Feedback from crews was collected for further development of the platform. The manufacturer was also preparing production capacity for larger-scale manufacture and deliveries.

Development work continued on thermal imaging modules intended to provide night reconnaissance capability. Vyriy Industries also began testing adaptations that would allow Slavic to serve as an airborne communications relay. These configurations remained under development rather than established production variants.

Design

Slavic is a folding multirotor reconnaissance UAV supplied as a complete field system. The airframe has folding arms and no externally protruding antennas, reducing its packed volume and simplifying transport between positions. The system is intended to operate without field modifications before deployment.

Flight control and navigation

The UAV uses an operating concept intended to remain familiar to personnel trained on DJI Mavic-type platforms. Automated functions include position hold, flight to a selected point, return to the launch area, and automatic landing. If the control or video link is lost, the aircraft can return toward its home-point area while attempting to restore the connection.

Slavic can operate when satellite navigation signals are unavailable. Optical positioning provides an alternative means of maintaining position and supporting navigation in GPS-denied conditions.

Communications and ground control

The aircraft uses a two-way digital command and video link with selectable communications channels across a broad frequency range. The channel-selection capability is intended to help crews avoid heavily congested frequencies and maintain communications in difficult terrain.

The ground control system uses an Android-based controller and supports configuration of UAV and ground-station parameters. The system can integrate with the DELTA and Kropyva situational-awareness systems and can stream video to the VEZHA application. An Ethernet connection allows the communications antenna to be positioned up to 100 m from the pilot, permitting greater separation between the operator and exposed antenna equipment.

Payload

The standard reconnaissance payload is a 2K digital daylight camera with a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels. It is mounted on a three-axis stabilized gimbal and provides 10× optical zoom and up to 30× hybrid zoom. The gimbal has a supported tilt range from −90 degrees to +20 degrees.

A thermal imaging payload for night reconnaissance was under development in 2026. Vyriy Industries was also working to replace the existing Chinese-origin main camera with a Ukrainian-developed imaging system.

Power system

Slavic uses a 6S1P solid-state battery rated at 40,000 mAh. The battery weighs 2.5 kg and is designed for rapid replacement in the field. It provides a maximum stated endurance of up to 90 minutes.

Program status

Slavic had completed initial combat evaluations with seven Ukrainian defense units by September 2026. The platform was being refined from operational feedback while Vyriy Industries prepared for scaled serial production and military deliveries.

Further planned development included thermal imaging for night missions, greater use of Ukrainian-made components, communications-relay configurations, and larger versions of the airframe. These developments were still being tested or prepared and were not established operational Slavic variants at that time.

Variants

• Slavic: Baseline multirotor tactical reconnaissance configuration with a stabilized 2K daylight camera, optical positioning, and a tactical operating range of up to 30 km.
• Thermal imaging configuration: Planned reconnaissance configuration using a thermal imaging module for operations at night or in reduced visibility.
• Communications relay configuration: Planned adaptation intended to use the Slavic airframe as an airborne signal relay.
• Larger Slavic configurations: Larger versions of the platform under preparation in 2026; detailed specifications were not disclosed.

Specifications (Slavic)

General characteristics

• Type: Multirotor tactical reconnaissance UAV
• Primary roles: Tactical reconnaissance, observation, and artillery fire correction
• Battery: 6S1P solid-state, 40,000 mAh
• Battery weight: 2.5 kg
• Control system: Android-based ground control station with two-way digital command and video link
• Navigation: Optical positioning with GPS-denied capability

Performance

• Flight endurance: Up to 1.5 hours
• Tactical operating range: Up to 30 km
• Maximum flight range: 60 km
• Cruise speed: 55 km/h
• Maximum speed: 65 km/h

Reconnaissance equipment

• Daylight camera: Digital 2K camera, 2560 × 1440 pixels
• Stabilization: Three-axis gimbal
• Optical zoom: 10×
• Hybrid zoom: 30×
• Gimbal tilt: −90 degrees to +20 degrees
• Battlefield software integration: DELTA, Kropyva, and VEZHA
• Remote antenna connection: Ethernet cable up to 100 m