AN-BK-1 Horlytsia
Summary
| Category | Military Drones |
| Origin country | 🇺🇦 Ukraine |
| Manufacturer | Antonov |
| First flight | 8 November 2017 |
Technical specifications
| Version: AN-BK-1 Horlytsia | |
|---|---|
| Operational range | 1,050 km (652 mi) |
| Endurance | 7 hours |
| Maximum speed | 230 km/h (143 mph) |
| Wingspan | 14 m (45.9 ft) |
| Height | 2 m (6.6 ft) |
| Length | 8 m (26.2 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 5,000 m (16,404 ft) |
| Empty weight | 500 kg (1,102 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs) |
All operators
Armament
Missiles payload:
- Air-to-Ground Guided missiles
Description
The AN-BK-1 Horlytsia ("Turtle Dove") is an operational-tactical unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed by the Ukrainian state-owned Antonov State Enterprise, part of the Ukroboronprom defence concern. The aircraft was first presented publicly in 2016 and conducted its first demonstration flight on 8 November 2017 at the Antonov airfield in Hostomel. Designed for adoption by the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the aircraft remained in development to serve as a day-and-night intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance platform.
The aircraft features a cylindrical fuselage with high-mounted straight wings and a twin-boom tail arrangement meeting aft at two inward-cranked vertical fins. Propulsion is provided by a single conventional engine mounted at the rear of the fuselage, driving a multi-bladed propeller in a pusher configuration. The Horlytsia has a length of approximately 8.0 m, a wingspan of about 14.0 m, and a height of about 2.0 m. Its empty weight is roughly 500 kg, and its maximum take-off weight is reported as up to 1,000 kg, though earlier developmental figures cited 250 to 300 kg. Equipped with a high-definition electro-optical/infrared sensor turret, the drone has a tactical control range of up to 150 km and a total flight range of up to 1,050 km. It can fly for approximately 7 hours at altitudes of up to 5,000 m, with a maximum speed of up to 230 km/h and cruising speeds between 150 and 180 km/h.
For strike operations, the Horlytsia can coordinate artillery fire and engage targets using air-to-ground guided missiles. These are carried on two underwing hardpoints, with one hardpoint allocated per wing. The platform has a maximum payload capacity of 50 to 65 kg.
Main Variants
- Lyutyi: A long-range strike drone widely reported to be derived from the pre-war Horlytsia design.