UFORCE Creates Bucha Kamikaze Drone of Middle Strike Class

The company UFORCE has developed an aircraft-type Bucha kamikaze drone with a flight range of up to 200 kilometers.

The development was presented at the Arsenal of Talents defense technology job fair, where Militarnyi acted as an information partner.

A company engineer told a Militarnyi correspondent that the drone can use various communication channels, depending on conditions in a particular sector of the front, including Starlink.

According to the concept, the drones are intended to be launched in groups with communication built on a mesh network principle. One drone would carry an additional battery instead of a warhead and serve as a command relay for the strike versions.

The launch is planned not from a conventional pneumatic catapult but from a small launcher using a starting powder charge. The drone’s range is up to 200 km, and the warhead weight is 5.5 kg.

“It is planned to use a launch system where, for example, four aircraft are already loaded. They are ready for launch and can be launched sequentially at a certain interval. The final idea is that this can be controlled by one pilot or one group of operators: several aircraft are launched, after which the operators connect to them in turn and control them,” a company representative shared.

The system is currently undergoing modifications, and the aircraft are still in flight tests. The next stage will be combat testing. The cost of the system will depend on the type of communication used. The expected price is about $10,000-$12,000.

There is also a simplified version with a 3.5 kg warhead and a range of 100-120 km. These drones are already in pre-series production and have been used in combat.

In early March, UFORCE reached a market valuation of more than $1 billion. The company has brought together nine domestic defense firms and raised $50 million in investment from leading funds. The main investors in the funding round were Shield Capital and Lakestar, with the participation of Ballistic Ventures.

UFORCE develops unmanned ground, air, and naval systems, adapting technologies proven in the field for the needs of allied militaries. The company’s products include naval drones, strike UAVs, and counter-drone systems, which have carried out more than 150,000 missions during the war.

Oleg Rogynskyy, the company’s CEO, said in an interview that the technologies developed are designed to operate in real combat conditions without relying on expensive weapons.

According to him, the experience of identifying what does not work in Western weapons systems is extremely valuable for partners.