Profile
- Type
- Long-range one-way strike UAV
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Origin
- Ukraine
- Service note
- Introduced during the full-scale Russia-Ukraine War
Aircraft & UAVs
AQ-400 Scythe
The AQ-400 Scythe is a Ukrainian long-range one-way strike UAV developed by Terminal Autonomy for mass production and deep-strike missions. Its modular airframe, pusher-propeller layout, and visual/terrain-aided navigation are intended to provide Ukraine with a comparatively low-cost way to put a sizable payload hundreds of kilometers from the launch area under electronic-warfare pressure.
- Conflict side
- Ukraine
- Built by
- Terminal Autonomy
- Built in
- Ukraine
Service History
- In service
- Initial batch reported delivered to Ukrainian forces in December 2023
- Used by
- Ukrainian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Terminal Autonomy
- Designed
- 2022-2023
- Built by
- Terminal Autonomy
- Built in
- Ukraine
- Unit cost
- Reported roughly $15,000-$30,000 depending on configuration
- Produced
- 2023-present
- Number built
- Not publicly confirmed; early reporting described production targets of 100 to 1,000 per month
- Variants
- AQ-400 Scythe
Specifications
- Wingspan
- 3.2 m
- Maximum takeoff weight
- 100 kg
- Payload
- 43 kg
- Range
- 750 km
- Speed
- 144 km/h
- Ceiling
- 4,000 m
- Endurance
- 7 hours
- Guidance
- Autonomous visual and terrain-aided navigation with AI assistance
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Ukraine
Built in Ukraine by Terminal Autonomy and delivered to Ukrainian forces as a low-cost, long-range one-way attack UAV for strikes against targets beyond the front line.
AQ-400 Scythe Images
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AQ 400 SCYTHEPublisher: Terminal Autonomy | Note: Manufacturer page for current system description, navigation claims, technical specifications, and manufacturer-hosted imagery. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The Ukrainian military received AQ 400 Scythe long-range unmanned aerial vehiclesPublisher: Militarnyi | Note: Documents AQ-400 Scythe drones delivered to the Ukrainian military for Russia-Ukraine War use. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukraine's Scythe Drone Is All About Striking Far Away As Cheaply As PossiblePublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports conflict-use context, reported Ukrainian delivery, launch methods, payload reporting, production ambitions, and cost estimates. | Accessed: 2026-06-20One Way Aerospace AQ 400 ScythePublisher: sUAS News | Note: Earlier manufacturer-supplied product description covering Ukrainian design/build context, role, launch methods, and baseline specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20