Ukrainian company UFORCE has announced a new fixed-wing kamikaze drone called ‘Bucha,’ classified as middle strike. The development was showcased at a specialized defense-technology recruitment event.
Technical specifications:
- Flight range — up to 200 km
- Warhead weight — 5.5 kg
- Simplified modification: 3.5 kg warhead, range 100–120 km
- Estimated system cost — $10,000–12,000 (depending on the type of communication channel)
The aircraft is designed to operate with several types of communication channels depending on the situation on a specific section of the front, including Starlink satellite internet. Drone groups are proposed to be launched with a mesh network configuration: one of the aircraft sacrifices its warhead in favor of an additional battery and acts as a relay for the remaining strike drones in the group.
Unlike a typical pneumatic catapult, the ‘Bucha’ is launched via a powder charge and a compact rail. A multi-round launch system is provided — up to four aircraft simultaneously, launching sequentially at intervals, and can be controlled by a single pilot or a group of operators who take turns controlling each aircraft.
The base version of the ‘Bucha’ is undergoing a modification stage and flight testing, with combat trials planned next. The simplified version with a smaller warhead is already at the pre-series production stage and has combat experience.