Ukrainian company showed off twin-engine Darts strike drone with 14 kg warhead

At the DemoDay Brave1 demonstration event, where new strike UAVs capable of hitting targets at a distance of more than 40 km are being tested, a new twin-engine modification of the Darts strike drone was shown.

As a representative of the manufacturer told the publication Militarnyi, this twin-engine drone is capable of carrying a payload weighing up to 12–14 kg and is already being supplied to the Ukrainian military in small batches.

The single-engine version of the Darts has a maximum payload of 8 kg. It is reported that the new Darts has been tested in combat conditions with a load of more than 8 kg, which the device can carry without problems. According to the developers, the twin-engine version has an advantage over the single-engine model precisely due to the increased payload capacity of up to 12-14 kg.

As mentioned above, the updated Darts is participating in tests of strike UAVs capable of hitting targets at a distance of 40 km. A manufacturer representative noted that during a previous demonstration, the drone flew 45 km, made several approaches to a conditional target and returned with a reserve of energy. This was made possible by two built-in batteries.

The company is also working on integrating an airborne repeater, which should expand the drone's functionality. It is expected that the next stage of testing will introduce new technical solutions relevant to the front.

The Brave1 project is conducting a series of demonstrations to select drones that meet technical requirements. Details of these requirements are not disclosed for security reasons.

In May, the Brave1 state cluster also conducted tests of strike drones that can hit targets at a distance of up to 30-40 km. At that time, a single-engine version of the Darts drone was demonstrated, as well as other drones, including the Hunter Killer, R2D2, and Siromakha.

The main idea of the event was to create a mass drone that could easily reach a target at a distance of up to 40 km, which would allow for the effective destruction of enemy warehouses, equipment, air defense systems, and keeping Russian supply routes under tension. More details are provided in a separate article by Defense.