The Wall Street Journal reported on 27/11, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, that Altius suicide drones, manufactured by US company Anduril, have consistently encountered problems during combat trials in Ukraine. A prominent issue is their susceptibility to Russian electronic warfare measures.

"Frontline operatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) observed that Altius suicide drones frequently crashed or missed their targets. These Altius drones were so unreliable that the SBU stopped using them in 2024," a source stated.

An Altius 600M unmanned aerial vehicle is displayed at Anduril's facility in California, USA. Photo: Wall Street Journal

The SBU, Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, primarily focuses on counter-intelligence and anti-corruption. Following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the agency expanded its role beyond counter-intelligence and security to include combat operations. Its main force for these missions is the Alpha special forces, which specialize in disrupting command centers, electronic warfare systems, and designating high-value targets for drone attacks.

Ukrainian officials have not commented on this information.

Anduril affirmed its continuous presence in Ukraine, updating software and weapons. The company emphasized that its suicide drones have "demonstrated effectiveness against a large amount of Russian equipment."

Since its establishment in 2017, Anduril Industries has emerged as a prominent defense startup in the US. The company committed to providing equipment and software to help the US military keep pace with global drone technology trends.

The company is valued at over 30 billion USD and has secured numerous contracts with the US military to develop various prototypes, ranging from suicide drones to battlefield management systems. The conflict in Ukraine marks the first real-world deployment of Anduril's products.

Anduril's primary suicide drones include the Altius 600M and Altius 700M models.

The Altius 600M is a versatile unmanned aerial vehicle with a maximum payload of 3 kg. The aircraft can be remotely controlled via a ground station or fly autonomously along a pre-set route. Each unit can operate continuously for nearly 4 hours, with a maximum range of approximately 440 km.

The Altius 700M is a larger version of the 600M series, designed for long-range target engagement. It is equipped with a 15 kg warhead. The manufacturer claims the Altius 700M can fly up to 160 km and has a continuous operation time of 75 minutes.

US startups are concentrating on commercial drones, which can be produced more quickly and affordably than unmanned aerial vehicles from traditional defense contractors. However, most small US drones have not performed well in the combat environment in Ukraine, diminishing hopes for a surge in sales.

Ukrainian officials assess that US-made drones are fragile and often fail to overcome Russian jamming and satellite navigation spoofing systems. They also do not achieve advertised ranges or payloads.

Last year, chief executives of several US drone manufacturing companies acknowledged that they had underestimated the intensity of electronic warfare on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Thanh Tam (According to Wall Street Journal, Militarnyi)