Ukrainian Drone Makers Explore Starlink Alternatives for Battlefield Communications

Ukrainian defense companies are developing fiber-optic links, LTE and 5G connectivity, laser communications, mesh networks, and AI-assisted navigation to keep drones operating when satellite services such as Starlink are unavailable or disrupted.

Fiber-optic drones and new communications networks

BlueBird Tech produces multiple types of drones for reconnaissance and attack missions, along with ground robots, drone-detection systems, and electronic warfare systems. The company has also started developing air-defense interceptor drones.

BlueBird Tech officials said that there are still “certain product configurations for which there are currently no direct Starlink replacements.” They said Starlink’s “technical capabilities and accessibility make it difficult to replace in some applications,” while adding that the company is “actively exploring ways to add redundancy and replace these components in the future.”

The most promising wireless alternatives include terrestrial LTE and 5G networks, as well as laser-based optical communications.

BlueBird Tech is also exploring radio-based mesh networks. In such a system, ground transmitters and radio-equipped drones could act as relay nodes within a larger, distributed communications network. The approach is increasingly being used by Russian drone strike missions against Ukrainian cities, according to The Kyiv Independent.

Alternative navigation and AI guidance

Another Ukrainian defense company, Buntar Aerospace, said it had considered the possibility that battlefield conditions could make communications services such as Starlink unavailable.

“The recent Starlink and StarShield disruptions did not impact our operations as we had prepared for this scenario in advance,” Buntar Aerospace co-founder Bodan Sas said in an email to Ars. “Losing access to one communications service does not necessarily mean losing the ability to perform the mission.”

The Buntar-3 reconnaissance drone can integrate Starlink, but also has a backup communications system.

Credit: Buntar Aerospace

Buntar Aerospace has provided the Ukrainian military with fixed-wing reconnaissance drones that can fly up to 62 miles (100 kilometers). The drones use AI-driven software called Buntar Copilot, which is believed to be able to adjust flight plans based on factors including weather, signal quality, interference, and battery life.