At the international exhibition in Farnborough, England, a new modification of the Ukrainian strike drone An-196 'Lyuty' was demonstrated for the first time. Engineers have turned the kamikaze drone into a reusable platform capable of carrying long-range missiles under its wings.
Technical specifications of the novelty
At the stand, the developers showed mockups of missiles integrated into the drone's structure. The declared characteristics of the new warhead are impressive: the range reaches 200 kilometers, and the flight speed is up to 500 km/h. Thanks to such modernization, 'Lyuty' gained the ability to strike deep into the enemy's defense and return to base, which radically changes its tactical application.
History of creation and combat use
The development of the An-196 'Lyuty' drone was announced by the state corporation 'Ukroboronprom' back in October 2022. Initially, the project aimed to create a heavy unmanned vehicle weighing more than 200 kg, capable of delivering a 75 kg warhead over a distance of more than 1000 kilometers. The first serial batch was ready by August 2023.
The machine received its baptism of fire on August 28, 2023, when the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out an attack on the base of the 126th Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in Perevalnoye. Later, drones of this model, which had an unusual construction without landing gear, attacked the 'Shahed' drone factory in the Russian city of Izhevsk.
International support for the project
The development of the program to create strike unmanned vehicles of the An-196 type is actively supported by Ukraine's partners. It was previously reported that Germany allocated more than 100 million euros to create machines with a range of over 2000 kilometers. With these funds, several hundred combat drones are planned to be manufactured, which will significantly expand the capabilities of the Ukrainian army in conducting long-range operations.
