According to the company, the upgraded system can detect hostile interceptor drones in real time and warn operators when evasive manoeuvres are required to avoid engagement. Skyeton stated that the capability has already entered serial production and is being incorporated into operational platforms.
The company said the development addresses one of the fastest-growing threats facing aerial reconnaissance systems. Skyeton noted that the increasing use of interceptor drones has changed the operational environment and requires UAV platforms to move beyond passive survivability measures towards active threat-response capabilities.
The anti-interceptor feature combines detection systems with adaptive flight behaviour as part of a multi-layered survivability solution. According to the company, the system is intended to improve mission completion rates while preserving the aircraft during deep reconnaissance operations where endurance and persistence are critical.
“We take a very rigorous approach to every upgrade,” said Roman Knyazhenko, chief executive officer of Skyeton. “Our primary goal is to make the Raybird more survivable in the most extreme conditions.”
“We carefully studied comparable solutions and technologies available across the industry and tested them extensively,” he added. “Based on these results, we selected the most effective approach – one that significantly improves the aircraft’s ability to withstand threats from interceptor drones.”
Skyeton said the new capability reflects its broader engineering strategy of introducing systemic improvements rather than isolated modifications. The company stated that operational experience has demonstrated survivability depends on a combination of endurance, altitude, detection capability and adaptive response.
According to the manufacturer, Raybird’s modular architecture allows upgrades to be integrated into both newly produced and previously delivered aircraft. Skyeton said this approach is intended to maintain the operational relevance of the platform in a rapidly evolving threat environment.
Raybird is a small tactical unmanned aviation system developed for long-duration ISR and ISTAR missions. The ICE version of the platform has a flight endurance of more than 28 hours, a maximum range exceeding 2,500 kilometres and an operating ceiling of 5,500 metres.
The system supports real-time data links at ranges above 200 kilometres and can operate with unlimited range through SATCOM integration. Raybird is powered by an EFI four-stroke petrol engine and can operate in temperatures ranging from minus 35 degrees Celsius to plus 55 degrees Celsius.
According to Skyeton, the platform supports a range of interchangeable payloads including gyro-stabilised multisensor gimbals, aerial cameras, synthetic aperture radar systems and radio-frequency locators. The company said the aircraft is designed to support persistent reconnaissance operations across a broad range of operational environments.
