Ukraine Introduces POP Fly Universal Drone With Strike and Recon Capability

Ukrainian defense startup REACTIVE DRONE has developed a new multi-purpose drone, the POP Fly, capable of performing both reconnaissance and kamikaze missions.

Company director Oleksiy Kolesnyk shared with Militarnyi that the drone is ready for mass production.

The POP Fly can be equipped with interchangeable payloads, including cameras for reconnaissance missions or warheads weighing between 2.5 and 5 kilograms for strike operations.

In reconnaissance mode, the drone has a range of 100-120 kilometers and is designed to return safely to base using a parachute recovery system.

When outfitted for combat, its operational range varies between 50 and 100 kilometers, depending on the payload.

The drone is launched from a tube-shaped system similar to that of the U.S.-made Switchblade loitering munitions.

According to the company, POP Fly is designed to operate within the same ecosystem as REACTIVE DRONE’s other platforms — the Shmavik drones and Kazhan bombers — using compatible communications and software.

The drone is currently undergoing testing, after which it will enter the codification phase required for official procurement by Ukraine’s armed forces.

The POP Fly concept closely mirrors that of the American-made Switchblade drones, which have been in use by Ukrainian forces since the early stages of the full-scale war.

The Switchblade 600, for example, features a 15-kilogram warhead and a range of up to 90 kilometers, capable of flying 40 kilometers in 20 minutes and hovering for an additional 20 minutes.