Ukrainian Army Gets New UAV

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The Ukrainian Army has received the locally-made A1-SM Furia flying wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) capable of aerial reconnaissance and adjusting artillery fire.

The A1-SM Furia officially approved for use in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the first UAS to be developed by a Ukrainian private company, Athlon Avia. The company began designing the $92,000 aircraft in 2014.

It is a multirole unmanned aerial system designed for conducting aerial reconnaissance during day and night, determining the coordinates of the target and adjusting artillery fire.

The Ukrainian army has received five sets of the drone’s basic version, the A1-C. An upgraded version of the A1-SM, that includes 3 drones and a ground control station, was introduced in 2016.

The A1-SM Furia’s maximum takeoff weight is 5.5 kg, and its operational radius is up to 50 km. Time in the air – up to 3 hours. Cruising speed – 65 km/h, maximum – 130 km/h. It is launched by an elastic catapult and landing is semi-automatic, according to defenseworld.net.