Belarus Tests Unmanned Helicopter With Sanctioned American Engines

The Belarusian company Unmanned Helicopters has conducted flight tests of the SKY-TRUCK unmanned helicopter. The drone was equipped with Rolls-Royce 250 engines, manufactured in the US and banned for export to Belarus.

The video of the tests was posted by Unmanned Helicopters on its Facebook page.

According to the manufacturer, the drone was originally designed for Russian VK-650V engines, but later it was decided to adapt it to the British Rolls-Royce 250. The video reports that the tests are being conducted with British engines.

The Rolls-Royce M250 (Allison Model 250) engines are manufactured by Rolls-Royce North America (formerly Allison Engine Company) and are widely used in various types of helicopters, including the AW109, Bell 206, MD 500, and others.

It is worth noting that according to the sanctions policy of the UK and the US, Belarus is prohibited from supplying military and dual-use goods, including aircraft engines.

The drone was presented at the MILEX-2025 international arms and military equipment exhibition.

The SKY-TRUCK unmanned helicopter is designed as a coaxial helicopter. Its maximum takeoff weight reaches 2350 kg, flight range – up to 480 km, flight duration – up to 4 hours. At the same time, the aircraft is capable of carrying up to 600 kg of cargo. An underfuselage transport container is used to accommodate it.

SKY-TRUCK was designed to deliver cargo to offshore oil platforms, but during development it was decided to expand the functionality of the vehicle, which as a result was able to be used for a wide range of tasks.