The war in Ukraine has shown a spotlight on just how effective modern commercial drone technology can be in wartime. The information garnered by these relatively inexpensive eyes in the sky is a life-or-death issue that has allowed Ukrainians to hold off a much better equipped force for more than six months.
On September 13, the tiny democratic country of Armenia was attacked by it's larger and more powerful neighbor to the east, Azerbaijan, in the latest of a long-running conflict over territory that has been settled by Armenians since the time of Noah.
Azerbaijan has oil. The west wants that oil. Azerbaijan needs a pipeline to get their oil to the west. And the Azeri president, Aliev, believes now is the time to take the land he needs to do that.
The recent attack on Armenia isn't over remote, outlying areas, it's on Armenia proper. And in a country as small as Armenia, the threat of total annihilation is not unrealistic. Armenia's military is small and underfunded, and so I'm starting a fundraiser to send them off-the-shelf DJI drones with night vision capabilities, that will enable them to avoid and report incursions into their territory.
These are not armed drones. They are MAVIC series which anyone can purchase. One with thermal night vision runs about $6,000. Without night vision they cost about. $2,000.
If you'd like to contribute, you can do so here on Locals or by sending funds to Paypal.me/evmt
Everything we collect will go toward trying to do something tangible to save lives in Armenia.