While many electronic components have analogs, some are critically important and have no direct substitutes, such as:

• Various sensors (pressure, speed, magnetic). Replacing them will require changes to the drone’s mechanics, electronics, and software, which will be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• FPGAs (field-programmable logic integrated circuits) are specialized computers that perform narrow-profile tasks at high speed.

Among the components found in the downed Shaheds are products of companies such as Honeywell International, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Altera Corporation (Intel), Xilinx Inc. (AMD), and others.

“It is very easy to find an analog for some components. For example, capacitors, resistors, transistors, because many companies produce the same parts. However, it is really difficult to find a replacement for various sensors, for example, air pressure, magnetic, barometer, speed sensor, angle of rotation sensor, etc. This is because, in this case, it is necessary to change the mechanics of the drone itself, its electronics, and rewrite the software. A ban on sensors could hit Russian drone production hard. Transistors, for example, have a million analogs. And the question is only in the skills of the workers”, – says a Robotics engineering specialist.

Despite all the improvements, Russian Shaheds still rely heavily on Western components. American and European-made chips and microcontrollers are used in key control, navigation, and data processing systems, demonstrating the Russian Federation’s inability to completely eliminate imported technologies in the military sector.

Cutting off access to Western sensors and FPGAs could seriously hurt Russian drone production, forcing the occupiers to waste resources on expensive modifications or look for less effective alternatives.

Read the full Trap Aggressor material for a detailed report on the Shaheds’ content and the modifications they have undergone.