Meet BULLDOG: Ukraine’s Backpack Drone Built to Drop Bombs and Relay Signals

Ukrainian defense company ROBONEERS has unveiled BULLDOG, a modular unmanned aerial vehicle that can rapidly switch between serving as a communications relay and carrying out precision strike missions.

The drone was presented at the Demo Day TFUA exhibition, “Designed for the Future: Ukrainian Defense Technologies in Action,” attended by a UNITED24 Media correspondent on July 15.

BULLDOG is designed to give frontline units one adaptable platform for two very different tasks. In its relay configuration, the drone maintains radio links between ground and airborne systems in dense urban areas or difficult terrain.

It can also be configured as a bomber to deliver and release specialized payloads against targets at tactical depth.

ROBONEERS said the platform was built to operate in poor visibility, at night, in high humidity and dust, and after losing access to GPS.

“The platform can operate in conditions of limited visibility, GPS loss, high humidity and dust, as well as at night, making it indispensable for tactical missions,” the company said.

Without a payload, BULLDOG can remain airborne for up to 70 minutes. It has a maximum flight range of 20 kilometers, or about 12.4 miles, and a tactical operating radius of up to 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles.

The drone can carry up to 10 kilograms, or roughly 22 pounds, and cruises at between 12 and 15 meters per second—approximately 27 to 34 mph. It also features a protected control channel intended to maintain stable operation under difficult battlefield conditions.

According to ROBONEERS, BULLDOG folds into a backpack and can be deployed by a team of one or two service members.

“BULLDOG combines the functions of a relay and a strike aircraft in a single platform—this is a solution for units that need flexibility,” the company said.

Its batteries, release mechanisms, and propellers are standardized with heavy bomber drones already used by Ukrainian forces. That means units can rely on existing spare parts rather than waiting for specialized replacements.

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“When something fails, the unit does not wait for a new delivery but uses the drone infrastructure already available within the Defense Forces,” ROBONEERS said.

The company added that battlefield effectiveness depends not only on what a system can accomplish during a mission, but also on “how quickly it returns to service.”

BULLDOG remains in testing and is expected to join ROBONEERS’ existing drone lineup, which includes the WARDOG SCOUT reconnaissance UAV and the WARDOG TRN relay carrier.

During the same exhibition, Ukraine’s DevDroid has unveiled a new wheeled version of its MK-19-armed combat robot, redesigning the platform in response to military requests for greater mobility across different terrain, seasons, and sections of the front.

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