ANAFI UKR – the most advanced micro-class ISR drone with a dedicated simulator

The article was created in cooperation with Dilectro, the Polish distributor of Parrot.

Available in official distribution from June 2025, the Parrot ANAFI UKR drone, the latest European ISR microdrone for public services, stands out not only with its modular design, advanced communication system, and compliance with the highest cybersecurity standards.

ANAFI UKR is currently the only European-origin service drone on the market that contains no Chinese components and holds full Blue UAS and NDAA certification. In addition, it comes with a dedicated flight simulator included in the set. Importantly, this solution is available in every sales package – at no extra cost.

Parrot ANAFI UKR is the latest compact ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) microdrone, designed to meet the critical demands of field operations, from defense activities to public safety missions. The drone was initially developed for defense forces operating in high-threat environments, with its design heavily informed by experience gained from the armed conflict in Ukraine.

This is a compact drone weighing only 959 g, built on a frame-based structure. Its dimensions are 245 x 160 x 116 mm when folded, and 350 x 665 x 116 mm when unfolded. As a result, it is highly portable and ready to fly in less than 2 minutes. In the event of a malfunction, it can be quickly repaired without the need for specialized service facilities. The system can also be integrated with additional components and payload modules. The quadcopter is equipped with the latest software and the dedicated FreeFlight 8 application, compatible with Android. The drone integrates a comprehensive stack of built-in AI systems at the local level, enabling it to perceive, interpret, and adapt to its surroundings in real-time, without relying on cloud connectivity or remote processing.

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ANAFI UKR can be ready to fly in less than 2 minutes

ANAFI UKR combines the capabilities of built-in artificial intelligence (AI), inertial and optical navigation, and full offline autonomy, all at a total weight of under 1 kg. Its design adapts the proven capabilities of the platform to the needs of law enforcement, emergency services, and government agencies, ensuring the same level of resilience, tactical awareness, enhanced cybersecurity protection, and complete data sovereignty. It is a tactical, AI-powered micro-UAV, designed to operate in environments without satellite navigation data, resistant to electromagnetic interference, and built for sovereign control.

One of the key innovations of ANAFI UKR is its full ability to fly and navigate in GPS-denied conditions. The drone does not require satellite synchronization to take off and can also be piloted indoors. This is achieved through advanced optical navigation, which combines visual-inertial odometry (Parrot Visual Inertial Odometry – PIVO), tracking environmental movements using the vertical camera and IMU measurements, allowing the drone to determine its position, velocity, and orientation, with geolocation provided through satellite image matching. The drone compares vertical camera images with built-in satellite maps, using neural networks to detect key points and shapes (e.g., roads, field boundaries). This enables precise localization within a geographic reference system even without a GPS signal.

The ANAFI UKR drone can carry out missions in conditions of interference or absence of satellite navigation signals

ANAFI UKR is equipped with FlightCharts software, which enables the generation of optical navigation maps and DTED (Digital Terrain Elevation Data) maps, significantly improving the accuracy of the Cursor on Target function. Moreover, it can continue flying using the map stored in the drone’s memory even after losing connection with the controller.

One of the fundamental principles on which Parrot ANAFI UKR is based is complete user control over data. This was a key factor considered in the design of the drone, from the very concept of ANAFI UKR, through the hardware layer, to the software with AI implemented exclusively on the device itself (Edge AI).

By default, the drone does not share any data without the user’s consent. This means the operator has complete freedom in managing the collected information: it can remain privately exchanged only between the drone and the controlling device, or, if explicit consent is given, it can be anonymously shared on Parrot’s secured European servers. This architecture ensures compliance with the strict GDPR and guarantees that mission data remains local, sovereign, and under the operator’s exclusive control. Even if the user decides to share data, it can be deleted with a single click via the FreeFlight 8 app or the Parrot account. This transparent approach to data is crucial for institutions that cannot afford to compromise on privacy and information security.

Parrot ANAFI UKR operates on an open and secure software architecture that supports mission adaptation, system interoperability, and long-term capability development. Thanks to the free Parrot SDK package, authorized users and accredited partners can develop and deploy custom mission logic, perception algorithms, or AI models directly on the drone (Air SDK). This provides access to all sensors, flight states, video streams, USB interfaces, depth maps, and trajectory generation for obstacle avoidance. Users can also create operational control and visualization tools through mobile applications (Android) or integration with C2 systems (Ground SDK). They may additionally access real-time video streams, telemetry, and metadata through standard interfaces (MAVLink, RTP, JSON).

With the Parrot SDK package, authorized users and accredited partners can develop and implement custom mission logic, perception algorithms, or AI models directly on the drone (Air SDK)

ANAFI UKR offers a unique multi-layer communication system, designed to operate in the most demanding electronic warfare conditions. It uses two radio links. The first is MARS (Military Adaptive Radio System) – the primary radio link with a range of up to 15 km, specifically designed to counter congested frequencies and interference. It employs Adaptive Frequency Hopping technology, ensuring resistance to jamming. Data transmission reaches speeds of up to 6.2 Mbps and is protected with AES 256 encryption at both the packet and radio levels. In the event of MARS link loss, the drone automatically initiates Return to Home (RTH) and switches to the backup LoRa (Long Range) link. This is an encrypted radio link with a range of up to 20 km, enabling drone operation even when the MARS link is completely jammed or lost. LoRa is based on small data packet transmission, which is suitable for applications without video streaming, while also maintaining the highest cybersecurity standards.

ANAFI UKR drone set

Parrot ANAFI UKR is currently the only mini-class drone designed for uniformed services, including the military, equipped with a dedicated flight simulator. Thanks to the simulator, ANAFI UKR pilots can train without risking damage to equipment or infrastructure. The simulator also allows practice of specific use cases for ANAFI UKR.

The simulator runs the same firmware as that installed on the ANAFI UKR drone, replicating the behavior of all built-in sensors and actuators. This includes the cameras, which operate in a visually and physically realistic environment. It reproduces effects such as optical noise, lens distortion, photodiode saturation, lens flare, lens shading, and fisheye effect, providing an exceptionally faithful representation of the drone’s camera output.

Parrot Sphinx simulator set

It offers a variety of 3D environments, including a unique “Planet” mode that enables virtual flight over any region of the world, combined with Google Maps data. It also allows testing of advanced functions, such as target tracking, through built-in moving characters or vehicles whose behavior can be controlled.

The simulator is capable of modeling variable weather and lighting conditions, including clouds, fog, wind, and the direction and intensity of light, allowing for training in the most diverse scenarios.

Parrot Skycontroller used for operating the real drone and for simulator training
Photos: via Dilectro

The simulator communicates seamlessly with the real Skycontroller UKR, enabling intuitive operation almost identical to an actual flight. The entire simulator is delivered on a self-booting USB stick with Linux Ubuntu, making it ready to use without complex installation, and is entirely offline, requiring no network connection. As a result, no test scenarios can be intercepted, and training can take place anywhere in the world.

All these features make the simulator an ideal tool for learning to operate the drone, familiarizing oneself with its functions, and conducting mission rehearsals in a safe environment before carrying them out in the field. This allows operators to build both experience and confidence.

The Parrot ANAFI UKR, an advanced European-origin ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) microdrone, sets a new standard in aerial operations for uniformed services and missions in high-risk environments.

What distinguishes ANAFI UKR is its comprehensive and holistic approach to the drone, part of an ecosystem comprising software, hardware, and additional elements. Parrot’s equipment addresses current market needs, with perfect examples being its frame-based design, dedicated flight simulator, and advanced communication system featuring inertial positioning.

The distributor of the Parrot ANAFI UKR drone in Poland is Dilectro. On behalf of Dilectro, we invite you to get in touch to arrange a presentation of the solution.