FPV Attack Drone
UkrainianFirst-Person View Kamikaze Drone (various models)
FPV (First-Person View) attack drones are commercially-derived or purpose-built multi-rotor drones modified to carry explosive warheads and guided by operators wearing FPV goggles with real-time video feed. Both Russia and Ukraine deploy them in massive numbers — each side launching thousands per day at peak intensity. The FPV drone has fundamentally transformed infantry and armored warfare, enabling cheap ($200–$1,000 per unit) precision video-guided strikes at ranges up to 15 km.
Primary Role
Anti-armor, anti-personnel, suppression of crew-served weapons, artillery crew harassment, vehicle destruction, observation post elimination
First documented use in Ukraine: 2022-08
Specifications
| Cost (basic) | $200–$1,000 per drone (modified commercial components) |
| Range | 3–15 km (depending on relay and fiber-optic variants) |
| Speed | 100–200 km/h |
| Warhead | RPG-7 grenade, shaped charge, or fragmentation (0.5–3 kg) |
| Guidance | Live FPV video link; fiber-optic variants jam-resistant |
| Drone weight | 0.5–3 kg (drone + payload) |
| Frame | 5" to 7" racing frame (20–40 cm) |
✓ Strengths
- •Extremely low cost — asymmetric exchange ratio when destroying tanks ($50K drone kills $3M tank)
- •Precision FPV guidance — operator aims at vehicle weak points (roof, engine exhaust, optics)
- •Available in massive quantities from rapid domestic production
- •Tactical flexibility — reconnaissance, harassment, and precision strike in one platform
- •Fiber-optic variants immune to electronic warfare jamming
⚠ Limitations
- •Short range (3–15 km) — tactical only, no strategic reach
- •Radio-guided variants vulnerable to electronic warfare jamming
- •Small warhead requires direct hit; must aim at roof or engine deck to defeat main battle tanks
- •Weather-dependent — wind, rain, fog degrade accuracy significantly
- •Requires extensively trained operators; maintaining scale demands continuous training pipeline
Notable Use
Russia reportedly launched 2,000–4,000 FPV drones per day in 2024–2025 while Ukraine launched 1,000–2,000 per day — a combined daily total exceeding all munitions fired in most previous 20th-century conflicts. FPV drones have destroyed tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, supply trucks, and personnel. Both sides produced millions annually from modified commercial racing-drone frames.
Ukraine War Context
Ukraine pioneered offensive FPV drone use at scale from late 2022 and industrialized production to over 100,000 per month by 2024. Volunteer drone programs and crowdfunded projects enabled rapid design iteration. Russia matched and exceeded Ukrainian FPV numbers by 2024. Fiber-optic guided FPV variants — immune to electronic warfare jamming — were deployed by both sides in 2025 as radio-frequency countermeasures became widespread.