- Wild Hornets expanding use of 3D printing to meet demand
- In-house manufacturing reduces reliance on third-party suppliers
- The company is focusing on software as drone swarm threats evolve
Ukrainian drone manufacturer Wild Hornets believes 3D printing could be the answer to modern warfare, helping companies like it to reduce costs and boost production.
DOU reports the company is now growing its 3D printing footprint using large numbers of FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) desktop printers, like Bambu Lab and Elegoo devices, rather than using expensive industrial systems.
This allows the company to churn out plastic drone components at high volume, but it also improves the speed of manufacturing allowing the company to iterate design more quickly as enemy tactics evolve.
3D printing’s role in modern warfare
Recent reporting on the company by industry experts at 3D Printing Industry, highlights how desktop 3D printers offer several advantages for quickly evolving digital and aerial warfare, like lower capital costs for manufacturing, quick prototyping support and easier scaling via new printers, rather than having to build new tools and moulds.
This comes as Ukraine continues to face enemy threats – the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) continues to report rising attacks from Russia as the country doubles down on Iranian Shahed-type drones.
In-house, affordable manufacturing also covers battery packs, flight controllers and other electronics and components, all helping to reduce costs and support Ukraine’s efforts. It also reduces reliance on third parties and external supply chains.
Since its inception, Wild Hornets has grown from a volunteer initiative into a manufacturer capable of producing around 100 drones per day – deepening its 3D printing strategy will only help.
Speaking about artificial intelligence, an anonymous spokesperson from Wild Hornets told DOU AI’s use in drone-based warfare is limited but is starting to expand, primarily spanning recognition and navigation. However, Wild Hornets estimates that adding AI functionality currently raises costs by $150 to $500 per drone, making it a costly consideration.
Drones are becoming much more than hardware
Looking ahead, Wild Hornets is seeing defense partner interest moving beyond the drone itself to the entire Hornet Vision package, which includes digital video transmission, remote control, AI and more.
The system itself was originally designed because Chinese digital control systems became unavailable amid ongoing geopolitical conflicts, but with the company recently demonstrating successful remote operation of its Sting interceptor from 2,000km away, from a country outside of Ukraine, partners are increasingly interested in the full hardware and software package.
However, even while aerial, autonomous threats continue to rise, the company’s unnamed speaker told DOU that drone swarms don’t exist in the way they’re made out to exist, describing them as ‘a cool legend and a mechanism for a scam to get money from naive investors.’
The company promises to add drone swarm technology as and when it emerges and evolves, but for now it’s neither an option nor a realistic threat.
“We would like the war to end,” they added. “Then, instead of increasing production volumes, we would focus on technologies, R&D, design solutions and cooperation with foreign partners.”
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