In the muddy trenches of eastern Ukraine, where signals die in the static of war and drones often fall from the sky misled by spoofed coordinates, a new weapon is changing the rules. The MTS unmanned aerial system (UAS), designed to operate autonomously and independently of traditional communication links, is giving Ukrainian forces an edge in one of the most electronically hostile combat environments on Earth.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, both sides have escalated their use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance and attack missions. Yet, as the conflict matured, so did the tools of disruption. Russian forces deployed advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems capable of jamming GPS signals, spoofing location data, and severing real-time communication between drones and their operators. The result: swarms of drones rendered blind, deaf, and useless mid-air.
Enter the MTS drone—a weapon not just built for flight but for autonomy. Where other UAVs falter, MTS drones endure, slicing through interference and navigating independently. They represent a tactical and technological leap in unmanned warfare.
The MTS system, developed by Czech firm LPP Holding, has been purpose-built to tackle the harsh realities of modern warfare. The UAV doesn’t rely on real-time operator commands or satellite navigation once it takes off. Instead, every element of its mission—target selection, route planning, timing—is preloaded into the drone via a specialized 3D ground control interface.
Once airborne, the drone uses onboard AI to adapt its flight path in real-time, responding to terrain and perceived threats without external input. This AI-based navigation is key to its resilience: if communications are jammed or GPS is denied, the drone continues toward its target unfazed.
Ukrainian operators have confirmed that even in the heart of GPS-denied zones, MTS drones have remained functional, avoiding jamming traps and spoofing attempts that routinely cripple other systems.
The MTS lineup includes three distinct variants tailored for specific mission profiles:
- MTS-5E: A lightweight, electrically powered drone with a maximum takeoff weight of 5.5 kilograms. With a 2 kg payload, it can strike targets up to 40 kilometers away at speeds of 160 km/h. Its compact size and 1.67-meter wingspan make it ideal for hit-and-run missions close to the front lines.
- MTS-25C: The mid-range version with a combustion engine, offering a 25 kg MTOW and a payload capacity of 6 kg. With a range of 750 kilometers and a 3.32-meter wingspan, it is suitable for deeper operations against higher-value targets.
- MTS-40C: The largest and most powerful variant, also combustion-powered, supports a 40 kg MTOW and a 12 kg payload. It boasts a range of 1000 kilometers and a top speed of 230 km/h, enabling long-distance strikes with heavier warheads.
Each version is deployed from a portable, battery-powered launcher, takes under two minutes to set up, and is designed for single-use suicide missions. Depending on the operational needs, they can be armed with high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG), or thermobaric warheads.
The real impact of the MTS system is not just in its specs but in what it enables tactically.
Operators can now conduct what Ukrainian military sources describe as “shoot-and-scout” tactics—launching an autonomous drone, observing the outcome from a distance, and relaying minimal battlefield presence. These drones remove the need for continuous operator oversight, thereby reducing human risk and increasing the likelihood of mission success.
With their autonomous capabilities, MTS drones are particularly well-suited for targeting fixed enemy infrastructure—such as command centers, air defense installations, supply depots, or power substations—where accuracy and stealth are paramount.
In interviews with Ukrainian forces, many cite the psychological edge as well. “Russians expect our drones to drop out of the sky when they turn on the jammers. Not these,” said one Ukrainian UAS operator stationed near Bakhmut. “You see the MTS still flying straight into the target. That changes how you fight.”
At a broader level, the deployment of MTS drones is part of a strategic move toward operational independence in warfare. By eliminating the reliance on external navigation and communications infrastructure, these drones sidestep the vulnerabilities that adversarial EW systems exploit.
Their development also signals a deeper shift in defense strategy. LPP Holding’s complete in-house development of the MTS series demonstrates a deliberate push for technological sovereignty. In an era where software-defined systems and AI-powered warfare are reshaping the battlefield, control over intellectual property and production pipelines becomes just as crucial as the weapons themselves.
MTS drones offer more than tactical wins—they serve as a blueprint for next-generation warfare: localized production, adaptive AI, and battlefield autonomy.
Although MTS drones have been in active combat use for months, their official unveiling came at IDET 2025, a defense industry exhibition in Brno, Czech Republic. There, LPP Holding showcased the entire MTS family, confirming delivery of several hundred units to Ukraine.
Industry analysts expect the drone to become a major export product. In a post-IDET briefing, LPP representatives noted “strong interest” from nations facing similar electronic warfare threats, including countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
While the MTS drones represent a leap in capability, they also raise ethical questions about the growing role of artificial intelligence in lethal decision-making. Although target selection is done pre-launch by human operators, the drone’s navigation and strike delivery are autonomous. This has reignited debate about the boundaries of AI in warfare.
Critics argue that even semi-autonomous weapons risk errors and unintended consequences. Proponents counter that such drones, which require human planning and do not engage targets autonomously mid-flight, still fall within acceptable frameworks of human oversight.
In Ukraine, where every day of delay could cost lives, practicality often overrides policy. As one senior Ukrainian defense official put it, “We are not fighting in theory. We’re fighting for survival. The MTS drone gives us a fighting chance.”
The war in Ukraine is serving as a brutal laboratory for the weapons of tomorrow. MTS drones—quiet, intelligent, unjammable—offer a vision of what comes next: wars where machines make decisions at speed, where humans plan but don’t direct, and where silence in the sky doesn’t mean absence—it means autonomy.
