Profile
- Type
- First-person-view small UAV / one-way attack drone
- Origin
- Various commercial and military supply chains
- Service note
- 2010s-present; mass battlefield use during the Russia-Ukraine War
Aircraft & UAVs
FPV drones
FPV drones are small first-person-view UAVs adapted from racing-drone and commercial quadcopter technology into tactical reconnaissance and attack systems. In the Russia-Ukraine War, both sides use them in large numbers because they can put a live camera feed and operator-guided explosive payload into places that are hard for artillery or larger UAVs to reach, while remaining cheap enough for attritional frontline use.
- Built in
- Various
Service History
- In service
- Frontline tactical use in the Russia-Ukraine War
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian Armed Forces, Ukrainian National Guard
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Distributed commercial and military UAV designers
- Designed
- Civil FPV designs predate the war; combat adaptations expanded rapidly from 2022 onward
- Built in
- Various
- Unit cost
- Often treated as low-cost expendable systems; exact cost varies by airframe, payload, link, and sensor fit
- Produced
- Mass wartime production and assembly from 2022 onward
- Variants
- Radio-controlled FPV strike drone, Fiber-optic-controlled FPV drone, Reusable FPV training and ISR drone, FPV interceptor drone
Specifications
- Control method
- Manual first-person piloting through an onboard video feed to goggles or a display; some newer variants use fiber-optic control links to resist jamming.
- Typical airframe
- Small quadcopter or racing-drone-style UAV; Ukrainian procurement channels list more than 180 FPV models from 40 manufacturers.
- Payload
- Varies by airframe and mission; common one-way attack examples carry a small explosive charge, with some reported frontline types carrying up to about 1.5 kg.
- Representative endurance
- A U.S. 7-inch FPV example, Red Cat's FANG F7, lists more than 12 minutes of stable flight with a 6S battery and added user payload.
- Battlefield limitations
- Short endurance, weather sensitivity, operator workload, radio-link vulnerability, and electronic warfare can limit sortie success.
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: UkraineRussia
Used at scale by Ukrainian and Russian forces as short-range, operator-piloted UAVs for precision attack, reconnaissance support, and drone-on-drone engagements; Ukrainian procurement data also shows many FPV models and manufacturers being supplied directly to combat units.
FPV drones Images
Related Weapon Systems
WarmateLoitering munitionWarmate is a Polish electric loitering munition from WB Electronics/WB Group, designed as a portable reconnaissance-strike system with interchangeable warheads, autonomous flight modes, and video-guided terminal attack. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has been documented in Ukrainian service for precision attacks on Russian air-defense and surveillance radars..jpg?width=480)
Arash-2Long-range one-way attack UAV / loitering munitionThe Arash-2 is an Iranian long-range one-way attack UAV, also described as a loitering munition or suicide drone, associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces. Open sources describe it as a larger Arash/Kian-family strike system with rocket-assisted launch, reported passive-radar or seeker options, and claimed ranges up to about 2,000 km for attacks on fixed or emitting targets.
Phoenix GhostLoitering munition / one-way attack UASPhoenix Ghost is an AEVEX Aerospace family of U.S. loitering munitions and one-way attack unmanned aircraft associated with urgent Ukraine security assistance. Public reporting and company material describe it as a family rather than a single fixed airframe, with disclosed AEVEX platforms ranging from smaller Group II precision-strike systems such as Atlas to larger Group III systems such as Disruptor and Dominator.
PunisherReusable strike and reconnaissance UAVThe Punisher is a Ukrainian reusable fixed-wing strike UAV from UA Dynamics, designed for small-unit reconnaissance and precision bomb drops behind enemy lines. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has been fielded by Ukrainian defense units as a compact catapult-launched system carrying modular explosive containers for attacks on command posts, electronic-warfare equipment, ammunition sites, and other rear-area targets.
Shahed-136Long-range one-way attack UAVThe Shahed-136 is an Iranian-designed long-range one-way attack UAV, also fielded by Russia as the Geran-2 and by the Houthis as the Waid-2. Its low-cost airframe, GNSS-guided point-target flight profile, and mass-launch tactics have made it a prominent saturation-strike weapon in Ukraine, the Red Sea, and Iran-linked regional conflicts.
ZALA LancetLoitering munitionThe ZALA Lancet is a Russian electric loitering munition with a distinctive dual X-wing layout, launched from a catapult and guided by an onboard television channel for terminal attack. In the Russia-Ukraine War it became one of Russia's prominent tactical strike UAVs, used against Ukrainian artillery, air-defense systems, armor, vehicles, and other battlefield targets.Sources
First 100,000 FPV drones delivered to Ukrainian military through the DOT-Chain Defence procurement platformPublisher: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by documenting Ukrainian delivery of FPV drones to military units, plus the number of available models and manufacturers. | Accessed: 2026-06-20UK and NATO nations ramp up response to Putin's aggression in Ukraine and incursions into EuropePublisher: UK Ministry of Defence | Note: Supports Ukraine conflict-use context for supplied short-range FPV drones used for precision strikes, reconnaissance, and disruption behind the front line. | Accessed: 2026-06-20UK to supply thousands of drones as co-leader of major international capability coalition for UkrainePublisher: UK Ministry of Defence | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use by describing FPV drones supplied to Ukraine and their use for situational awareness and attacks on positions, armored vehicles, and ships with explosive ordnance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Bayraktars and Grenade-Dropping Quadcopters II: Year Two of Ukraine-Russia Drone WarfarePublisher: Army University Press | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War context for FPV UAV use, including drone-on-drone attacks and electronic-warfare limits for small UAVs. | Accessed: 2026-06-20I Fought in Ukraine and Here's Why FPV Drones Kind of SuckPublisher: War on the Rocks | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War direct conflict use through firsthand Ukrainian-service FPV drone analysis, and supports layout, one-way attack role, payload scale, and operational limitations. | Accessed: 2026-06-20FANG F7Publisher: Red Cat Holdings | Note: Manufacturer page for a representative 7-inch FPV small UAS, supporting example endurance, frame, control, battery, and video-system specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Blue UAS Refresh List, Framework Platforms and Capabilities SelectedPublisher: Defense Innovation Unit | Note: Supports background on military evaluation of FPV platforms and relevant capability criteria such as endurance, range, payload, communications, and resilience to EW jamming. | Accessed: 2026-06-20UA military FPV drones 10Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Primary image provenance; Commons states the ArmyInform/Ministry of Defence of Ukraine image is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20UA FPV strike drones 01Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance; Commons states the ArmyInform/Ministry of Defence of Ukraine image is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20