An-196 Liutyi Armed with Compact Air-to-Surface Missiles

The Ukrainian An-196 Liutyi UAV has been equipped with compact air-to-surface missiles (ASMs).

Oboronka (Defense), whose correspondent attended the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England, reported on this.

The display featured an An-196 Liutyi equipped with four of the missiles.

Their stated range is up to 200 kilometers, and the flight speed is about 500 kilometers per hour.

The missile’s warhead weight has not been disclosed. However, it is likely to be smaller than that of Roketsan’s MAM family of free-fall bombs, as part of the weight is allocated to its engine and fuel.

For reference, munitions in the MAM family weigh 22 kilograms and carry an 8–10 kg warhead, with an engagement range of up to 15 kilometers.

Notably, the UAV on display was not equipped with an onboard electro-optical targeting pod.

This may indicate that, once released, the missiles are launched toward pre-programmed coordinates without relying on onboard target designation.

However, it is possible that a fully configured version of the UAV, featuring an onboard electro-optical system, will be unveiled later.

If such a configuration is ultimately adopted, the An-196 Liutyi could effectively evolve from a strike LM into a multi-role ISR-strike UAV system in the same class as the Bayraktar TB2.

An-196 Liutyi

The An-196 Liutyi is a Ukrainian strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to engage enemy targets at strategic depth.

The system’s official performance specifications remain classified. However, open-source information indicates that the UAV uses an inertial navigation system with satellite-aided correction and can follow complex flight routes with multiple waypoints.

Structurally, the UAV is built in a low-wing, twin-boom configuration. Its airframe is made of a fiberglass composite using glass fibers and epoxy resin, with additional reinforcement provided by a metal mesh and plywood to increase structural strength.

The UAV is equipped with a fixed tricycle landing gear, allowing aircraft-style takeoff by accelerating along a runway.

The UAV’s powerplant is an internal combustion engine paired with a three-blade propeller in a pusher configuration.

An-196 Liutyi has a length of 4.4 meters, a wingspan of 6.7 meters, and a warhead payload of about 75 kilograms.