A Ukrainian company will produce 500 kamikaze drones each month. What is the AQ 400 Scythe capable of?

Author

Artur Gmyria

The new AQ 400 Scythe kamikaze drones: specifications and advantages

Ukrainian-based Terminal Autonomy produces 100 AQ 400 Scythe kamikaze drones and plans to scale up production to 500 per month. The pictures and videos of the new UAV flying have already been made available.

asked Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, an aviation and electronic warfare expert, about the similarities between the new uncrewed aerial vehicle and the Iranian-made Shahed-136 and the advantages of the Ukrainian drone.

AQ 400 Scythe Specifications

Range: 750 km
Launched from a short runway or a catapult
Speed: 140 km/h.
Total mass: 100 kg
Warhead: 32 kg; can be increased up to 72 kg with a decreased range
Price: about $20,000

An AQ 400 Scythe prepared to be launched from a catapult. Photo: Terminal Autonomy

With respect to speed and range, our drone’s claimed specifications are inferior to those of the Shahed-136 used in massive Russian terror attacks against Ukraine. The latter has the following specifications:

Range: 1,000 to 2,000 km, according to different sources.
Speed: 150 to 170 km/h
Total mass: 200 kg
Warhead: 40 kg

However, Anatolii Khrapchynskyi, an aviation expert, asserts that the AQ 400 Scythe features more than sufficient range for a drone of its type, enabling it to drive Russian aviation from airfields near the frontline.

The main purpose of the AQ 400 Scythe

"One significant advantage of our new drone is its small size. We have already learned to create and move small mobile anti-drone teams, and the Baltic countries want us to share this experience with them. On the contrary, the Russians would have to do it from scratch if we establish mass production of the drones, and it will be much harder for them to repel these attacks," the expert argues.

According to Khrapchynskyi, even 500 such drones per month is not enough because we need thousands of them, but nonetheless, these drones will have an important function.

"They will drive Russian Su-25s and other planes, as well as helicopters, away from the frontline so that our military can fight against infantry instead of struggling with aerial attacks," comments Anatoliy Khrapchynskyi on the potential purpose of the AQ 400 Scythe.

Benefits of the AQ 400 Scythe

AQ 400 Scythe kamikaze drones, allegedly on a proving ground. Photo: Terminal Autonomy

The expert noted that the new drone is T-shaped, which makes it reliable from an aerodynamic perspective and easy to manufacture. The drone can loiter even with its engine off, and in addition, it requires material.

"The aerodynamic principles of hitting a target are different for the Shahed and the Scythe, so they are not analogues, but there are some similarities. The Scythe has already been tested by the Armed Forces, and I also had them at the proving ground," says Khrapchynskyi. "They are very lightweight. In addition, the planes themselves are easy to assemble, and the parts are easy to manufacture."

The manufacturers of the AQ 400 Scythe claim that the spare parts for the drone are produced in Ukraine and two other European countries, so there should be no problems with their delivery as there are with supplies from China. In addition, they say that the reliability of their suppliers allows them to scale up production right away.

The new Ukrainian AQ 400 Scythe kamikaze drone flying

There is still not enough funding and manufacturing capacity to produce Ukrainian kamikaze drones

Anatoly Khrapchynskyi believes that such production can already be scaled up to several thousand per month, but this would require investments from the government, which are still not secured. Another way is to find sponsors.

"Manufacturers have a desire to make drones, which mostly meet the needs of the Armed Forces. But our capabilities are low. The financial component is sagging because government procurement is not as prompt as we would like it to be," the expert says.

He also notes that Ukraine still has no known strategy for the future development of the production of UAVs and electronic warfare equipment.

"What will the enemy do? How will electronic warfare, UAVs, and FPV drones develop? If we had planned to use FPV drones on the frontlines this year, we would already have electronic warfare equipment against such FPVs because, unsurprisingly, the Russians copy our solutions and use them against us," Anatolii Khrapchynskyi concludes.