Ukrainian Armed Forces receive a batch of new AQ 400 Scythe kamikaze drones
The drone has a range of 750 km and a takeoff weight of 100 kg
The Ukrainian Defense Forces have received a batch of new AQ 400 Scythe long-range kamikaze attack drones from Terminal Autonomy.
Source. This was reported by the military portal Defence Express.
Terminal Autonomy reports that it has completed the purchase of the necessary parts for the serial production of drones in the amount of 100 units per month with further scaling.
Published photos by Terminal Autonomy show the transfer of a batch of kamikaze drones to the front. The range of the AQ 400 Scythe is 750 km. The takeoff weight, according to the portal, is 100 kg, of which 32 kg is the warhead (total payload weight is 43 kg).
According to experts, the AQ 400 Scythe has a wingspan of 2.3 meters and a cruising speed of 144 km per hour. The duration of stay in the air is 6.5 hours.
The inexpensive drone will allow the Defense Forces to conduct regular strikes on targets in Russia, provided that they produce 100 units per month, Defence Express writes.
As for the price, the cost of the basic airframe of this UAV is about $15 thousand, while taking into account "recommendations and additions", i.e. the internal "stuffing" of the drone, it can grow to about $30 thousand.
According to the new contract for the supply of AQ 400 Scythe drones to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the initial pace will be 50 units per month, and by the second quarter of 2024, production will increase by as much as 10 times – up to 500 units per month.
But this is not the final figure. According to the company, their goal is to reach 1,000 drones per month, but it is clear that such scaling will take more time.
In September, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said that in 2023, the production of Ukrainian drones increased more than 100 times compared to last year.
If you have read this article to the end, we hope that means it was useful for you.
We work to ensure that our journalistic and analytical work is of high quality, and we strive to perform it as competently as possible. This also requires financial independence. Support us for only UAH 196 per month.
Become a Mind subscriber for just USD 5 per month and support the development of independent business journalism!
You can unsubscribe at any time in your LIQPAY account or by sending us an email: [email protected]
