Ukraine presented a new reusable version of the domestically developed An-196 “Liutyi” long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the Farnborough International Airshow. The platform was displayed equipped with four air-to-surface cruise missiles. This new configuration may indicate the evolution of a platform that had previously been employed as a one-way attack (kamikaze) drone.
This is the first reusable version of the platform to be publicly displayed. According to Oboronka, the new variant is capable of carrying four compact missiles with a reported range of up to 200 km and a cruise speed of approximately 500 km/h.
The warhead weight has not been disclosed. However, given the missiles’ compact dimensions, Oboronka notes that they are likely intended to deliver a smaller payload than conventional air-launched guided munitions, as part of their mass is allocated to the propulsion system and onboard fuel. In terms of their design and performance characteristics, these weapons more closely resemble miniature cruise missiles.
Photographs from the exhibition show the UAV carrying four missiles mounted beneath its wings. The aircraft also appears to lack an electro-optical targeting system, which may indicate that the missiles are intended to engage pre-programmed coordinates using onboard navigation rather than real-time target guidance. However, this has not been officially confirmed, and the platform’s fully operational combat configuration may be unveiled at a later stage.
If the system is ultimately developed into a fully operational combat platform, the reusable An-196 “Liutyi” would represent a significant departure from its original role as a long-range one-way attack UAV. Defense Express suggests that the platform could evolve into a multi-role reconnaissance and strike UAV capable of employing various types of precision-guided munitions, while also potentially serving as a carrier for other mission-specific payloads.
According to Defense Express, the development of this UAV variant may have been driven by the growing role of Ukraine’s long-range FP-1 strike drones, which offer a comparable operational range at a lower cost. A reusable platform capable of launching long-range weapons from outside the enemy’s engagement zone could provide greater operational flexibility, allowing the aircraft to be employed across multiple missions.
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The An-196 “Liutyi” has become one of Ukraine’s best-known domestically developed long-range strike UAVs during Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to publicly available information, it employs an inertial navigation system with satellite correction, is capable of following complex pre-programmed flight routes, and is estimated to have an operational strike range of approximately 1,400–2,000 km. The original one-way attack variant was reportedly equipped with a 50–75 kg warhead.
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Source: united24media
