Aircraft & UAVs

SOKIL-300 reconnaissance and impact UAV system

Also known as
  • Sokol-300
  • Falcon-300

The SOKIL-300 is a Ukrainian Luch reconnaissance-and-combat UAV project designed for surveillance, target identification, strike missions, and sea patrol. Official materials give a 300 kg payload, radar and electro-optical payloads, four guided missiles, and a long-endurance configuration, while later analysis found no public evidence that the aircraft was ready for serial production by mid-2023.

Role in Conflicts

Role in conflict
Wartime Ukrainian strike-UAV development

During the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, SOKIL-300 appeared in Ukraine's domestic strike-UAV development track rather than as a documented operational type; a 2023 King's College London analysis described the Luch ISR/strike UAV as not ready for serial production in publicly available information.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Ukraine
Type
Reconnaissance and combat UAV system
Service note
Unveiled in 2020; wartime Ukrainian strike-UAV development tracked during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Designer
State Kyiv Design Bureau Luch
Designed
2020
Unit cost
Not publicly documented; 2020 reporting estimated development cost at UAH 40-45 million.
Produced
Unveiled in 2020; serial production not publicly confirmed
Number built
Not publicly confirmed; a 2023 analysis said public information did not show the type ready for serial production.

Specifications

Engine
140 hp reciprocating engine; official export materials also describe a Rotax 914UL (MW FLY B25R) long-range configuration
Maximum takeoff weight
1130 kg
Payload
300 kg
Maximum speed
230 km/h
Cruising speed
150 km/h
Flight duration
26 hours
Maximum range
3300 km
Control range
150 km, or 300 km with retransmitter
Wingspan
14 m
Length
8.6 m
Armament
Four guided missiles; official brochure names RK-2P, RK-2M, and RK-10 missile options
Sensor fit
Optical aiming station, SAR, onboard radar, GNSS, and inertial navigation system
Variants

Public SOKIL-300 materials describe the air vehicle through engine and endurance configurations rather than separate combat subvariants.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
MC-500B configurationShort-endurance baseline

Early reporting described an MC-500B-powered version with about three hours of endurance and 1,000 km flight range.

Sources: Ukraine Unveils the Sokil-300, Its First Domestic Combat Drone

AI-450T2 configurationMid-range configuration

The AI-450T2 configuration was reported with about five hours of endurance and 1,300 km flight range.

Sources: Ukraine Unveils the Sokil-300, Its First Domestic Combat Drone

Rotax 914 / MW FLY B25R configurationLong-endurance configuration

Official export material emphasizes a 140 hp reciprocating-engine configuration with 26 hours of flight duration and 3,300 km maximum flight range.

Sources: SOKIL-300 PDF catalog, Sokil-300 official export page

System Composition And Sensors

Official materials present SOKIL-300 as a complete reconnaissance-and-combat UAV system rather than only an airframe. The package combines the air vehicle, ground control equipment, sensors, and missile preparation and launch equipment.

ElementDocumented detail
Mission setReconnaissance, target identification, strike at operational and tactical depth, artillery-fire adjustment, and sea patrol are described in official or specialist sources.
Air vehicle sensorsThe brochure lists an optical aiming station, SAR, onboard radar, GNSS, and an inertial navigation system based on laser gyroscopes.
Radar payloadsThe onboard radar is described for land or sea surface survey, target coordinate measurement, and radio-contrast object detection; the SAR is described for all-weather radar imaging.
Ground segmentThe mobile control post includes operator workstations, communications antennas, power generation, climate-control equipment, and UAV/ammunition control functions.
Missile Loadout

The official SOKIL-300 brochure names RK-2P, RK-2M, and RK-10 as guided missiles carried in transport-and-launch containers, with four missiles carried on the air vehicle.

MissileMaximum launch rangeMissile weightWarhead/TLC detail
RK-2P7 km29 kg9.8 kg warhead; transport-and-launch container up to 47 kg.
RK-2M5 km21.2 kg9.2 kg warhead; transport-and-launch container up to 40 kg.
RK-1010 km44 kg7.5 kg warhead; transport-and-launch container up to 59 kg.
Timeline

SOKIL-300 reconnaissance and impact UAV system Key Events

  1. First public presentation in Kyiv

    Ukrainian reporting from early November 2020 showed Luch presenting the SOKIL-300 prototype publicly in Kyiv during the war.

    Sources: Ukraine Unveils the Sokil-300, Its First Domestic Combat Drone

  2. International debut at IDEX 2021

    Defence Blog reported the SOKIL-300's first international display at IDEX 2021 and noted the reported development-cost figure.

    Sources: Ukrainian new combat drone makes international debut at IDEX 2021

  3. Prototype timing remained uncertain

    Militarnyi reported that a first prototype was expected by the end of 2022 and that the project was funded by Luch without finalized Ministry of Defense tactical-technical requirements.

    Sources: Sokil-300 prototype expected by end of 2022

  4. Not shown ready for serial production

    King's College London analysis of Ukrainian strike-UAV production said publicly available information did not show SOKIL-300 ready for serial production.

    Sources: Made in Ukraine: Ukrainian-made strike UAVs

Public Variant Split

Early reporting described three engine configurations, and the official export page later emphasized a long-range Rotax-powered configuration.

VersionEngineFlight timeRangeCruise speed
BasicMC-500B3 hours1,000 km335 km/h
Mid-rangeAI-450T25 hours1,300 km275 km/h
Long-rangeRotax 91426 hours3,300 km150 km/h
Media
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Sources