Solutions to win: Ukrainian company SkyFall develops StarGate medical evacuation drone and delivers system to military for combat testing

16.10.2026, 17:35 rubryka.com

The concept for the drone emerged following a request from frontline military units seeking a safer method to evacuate wounded personnel from positions under continuous threat of artillery shelling and drone attacks.

According to a company representative, the commander of the 475th Separate Assault Regiment, Code 9.2, callsign "Flint," approached SkyFall's founder last year to request a viable technical solution.

The urgent need for air evacuation stems from conditions across specific frontline sectors where high-threat zones from artillery and enemy UAVs extend 10–15 km or more. StarGate features an operational range of up to 15 km one-way, enabling rapid extraction from these dangerous areas.

A unit commander with the callsign "KVN" noted that ground robotic platforms typically require two to three hours to reach a position to evacuate a wounded soldier.

To address this challenge, SkyFall built the StarGate heavy drone to transport wounded military personnel from positions inaccessible to ground transport due to intense enemy drone and artillery activity.

According to the manufacturer, the StarGate drone boasts a payload capacity of up to 150 kg, enabling it to transport a wounded soldier wearing body armor and carrying personal gear. To accommodate casualties, the aircraft features a specialized medical cabin equipped with a stretcher.

The drone maintains a cruising speed of 65 km/h and reaches a maximum speed of 105 km/h. Preparing the aircraft for launch takes approximately ten minutes.

StarGate utilizes dual communication channels:

An operator guides the platform, while artificial intelligence features enable autonomous operation without reliance on GPS in heavy electronic warfare environments.

Developers state that if all communications fail, the drone can independently chart and fly a course back to a designated safe zone.

During a field demonstration, StarGate took flight with a weighted stretcher simulating an injured soldier wearing full tactical gear.

The test also simulated an attack by enemy FPV drones while activating electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures. When an adversary UAV closed in on StarGate, the medical drone fired a net projectile, tangling the incoming FPV drone and forcing it off course.

SkyFall estimates the cost of one StarGate system at a minimum of 50,000 US dollars, with final pricing depending on configuration.

Photo source: Associated Press video stillsThe manufacturer aims to scale production to 1,000 units per month by the end of 2026.

StarGate is undergoing direct testing under active combat conditions. According to the unit commander, evaluating the system's operational efficiency will require at least one month of frontline employment.

BackgroundSkyFall is a Ukrainian manufacturer of Vampire heavy-attack drones (also known as "Baba Yaha") and Shrike FPV drones. The company also developed the P1-SUN interceptor drone.

It should be noted that the unmanned systems company of the 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade conducted two missions using ground robotic platforms, evacuating four wounded service members—a record for the unit, which previously evacuated three comrades over five days using ground robots.

In the Kharkiv region, Vladyslav Polskyi, commander of an assault company in the 475th Separate Assault Regiment "Code 9.2," single-handedly evacuated two severely wounded soldiers after an enemy drone destroyed the ground robotic platform assigned to transport them.

Additionally, the Khartia unit completed two successful evacuation missions in a single night using ground robotic platforms to rescue three wounded soldiers. One wounded fighter had remained at his position for over ten days, and another for six days; both were delivered to medics despite heavy enemy shelling and drone attacks.