Ukraine turns $200,000 AN-196 Liutyi kamikaze drone into reusable bomber to launch jet-powered missiles

Ukraine converts long-range kamikaze drones into reusable missile-launching platforms

Liutyi now carries four missiles instead of sacrificing itself during attacks

Germany funds 500 additional Liutyi drones through a $100 million defense package

Ukraine's state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom has unveiled a reusable version of its An-196 Liutyi drone at the Farnborough International Airshow.

According to a report from Ukrainian outlet Oboronka the new configuration carries four compact air-to-surface missiles beneath its wings.

Until now, the Liutyi has flown only as a single-use weapon, striking a location once before being destroyed on impact.

A Kamikaze airframe rebuilt to fly home

The standard Liutyi is a propeller-driven, satellite-guided drone with a claimed operational range of nearly 2,000 km per mission today. It carries a 50-to-75 kg warhead and relies on inertial navigation corrected by satellite signals for improved overall strike precision.

Ukraine has used the standard version to strike oil refineries as far as 1,700 km inside Russia, near the Urals region.

Liutyi drones have also struck the Izhevsk military plant deep inside Russia's Udmurtia region, roughly 1,400 km from the border.

Germany is financing 500 additional Liutyi drones at a cost of roughly $100 million, signaling continued Western interest in the program.

Each Liutyi airframe reportedly costs around $200,000 to build, a comparatively low price for a long-range strike platform of its kind.

The reusable variant carries four small missiles reported to have a maximum range of 200 km and speeds above 500 km/h, which is apparently achieved through a small jet engine mounted inside the missile's own fuselage.

No further technical details about either the airframe or the missiles have been disclosed so far.

A commercial statement for foreign buyers

Displaying an armed, reusable Liutyi there functions as a clear commercial statement almost as much as a purely military signal.

Ukraine has displayed naval drones, interceptor drones and strike systems at major international defense exhibitions throughout 2026

A drone combat-tested through hundreds of deep strikes on Russian territory offers foreign buyers a rare, already-proven track record overall.

The reusable Liutyi may also compete with Ukraine's own FP-1 drone, which reportedly offers comparable performance at a lower cost, and in design, the new missiles resemble Anduril's Barracuda-250, an American cruise missile with an 18 kg warhead and 370-plus km range.

Ukraine relied heavily on the Bayraktar TB2 for years before Russian air defenses eventually pushed the drone from contested skies.

The shift could allow the Liutyi to fill the niche once occupied by the Bayraktar TB2, a symbol of Ukraine's early resistance.

Whether the new missiles and airframe hold up under real combat conditions remains to be seen.

Via Defense Express

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: TechRadar. Open at source →