Common Questions

What is the SkyFall Shrike drone and how does the fibre-optic version work?: The Shrike 10 Fiber is an FPV strike drone guided by a 12.4-mile physical fibre-optic cable instead of radio signals, making it immune to electronic jamming. It scored 99.3/100 in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Gauntlet.Source: Background
Why has Ukraine stopped exporting drones to the Gulf?: Ukraine's SSEC suspended Gulf drone export applications on 10 April 2026, citing the EU Common Position on arms exports, to avoid implicating Ukraine in the Iran-Gulf conflict.Source: Background
How many drones does SkyFall make per month?: SkyFall's production capacity is reported at tens of thousands of units per month, at prices ranging from $300 for a basic FPV to $1,500 for the fibre-optic night variant.Source: Quick facts
Can the UK buy SkyFall drones after the UKDI detection gap report?: The UK's UKDI formally acknowledged on 8 April that fibre-optic drones defeat current defences. UK partner Skycutter already operates Shrike 10 Fiber; direct procurement is possible but subject to Ukrainian export controls.Source: Background

Background

SkyFall is one of Ukraine's largest military drone manufacturers, producing the Shrike FPV strike drone and the Vampire (also known as Baba Yaga) heavy-lift platform. The Shrike has become the most widely deployed FPV drone in the Russo-Ukrainian war, with over 500,000 missions logged on the front line.

The Shrike 10 Fiber variant, controlled via a 12.4-mile fibre-optic cable immune to electronic warfare, scored 99.3/100 in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Gauntlet through partner Skycutter, the highest score recorded. SkyFall prices range from $300 for a basic daytime FPV to $1,500 for a night or fibre-optic variant. Production capacity is reported at tens of thousands of units per month, a scale unmatched by Western equivalents. The UK's formal acknowledgement on 8 April that fibre-optic guidance defeats existing defences effectively validated SkyFall's core product.

Despite demand from eleven nations and commercial interest from Gulf partners, Ukraine's State Service for Export Control (SSEC) suspended all Gulf drone export applications on 10 April, citing the EU Common Position on arms exports. The suspension prevents SkyFall supplying Gulf States as the Iran conflict intensifies. The company's export ambitions, first signalled at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, are now on hold for the duration of the conflict.

How the World Sees Them

Russia

Fully aware of SkyFall's production scale and the unjammable Shrike 10 Fiber threat; deploys its own EW assets specifically to counter FPV corridors on the front line.

Ukraine

Treats SkyFall as strategic wartime infrastructure; the SSEC export suspension prioritises domestic supply and avoids entangling Ukraine in the Gulf conflict under EU arms-export rules.

United Kingdom

Partner via Skycutter gives UK access to Gauntlet-validated data; the UKDI detection-gap admission on 8 April may accelerate UK procurement of Shrike 10 Fiber variants post-conflict.

Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia)

Need fibre-optic FPV capability urgently; blocked by SSEC suspension from buying the proven SkyFall system, forcing reliance on less-proven alternatives.