Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990 in Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Headquarters | Kyiv , Ukraine |
| Products | Ultralight aircraft (including the A-22 Foxbat) |
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The Aeroprakt A-22 Foxbat is a Ukrainian-designed two-seat ultralight aircraft featuring a high-wing monoplane layout and tricycle landing gear. Conceived by Yuri Yakovlev, it is produced by the company Aeroprakt. In the US market, this model is known as the Valor,[1] whereas in the United Kingdom and Australia it carries the name Foxbat. Additionally, it has been offered under the name Vision.[2][3][4]
The Aeroprakt A-22 is available either fully assembled from the factory or as a kit comprising 152 components,[2] which can be completed in approximately 500 hours of labor.
This aircraft complies with the microlight criteria established by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.[2][3]
Designer Yakovlev reported that by April 2024, production had reached about 1,600 units, with roughly 100 sold to Russian customers prior to the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[5]
Design and development
The design process for the A-22 began in February 1990 at Aeroprakt, based in Kyiv. Its initial prototype completed its first flight on 21 October 1996, and by 1999, a version certified in Germany had entered production.
The A-22 features a predominantly metal airframe, with composite materials used for the engine cowling, wing fillets, and wheel fairings. The wings and control surfaces are covered with fabric. Exceptional visibility is provided by extensive glazing, including convex-shaped doors, enabling occupants to see directly beneath the aircraft. Control is achieved through a conventional three-axis system, granting pilots comprehensive command. Instead of separate ailerons and flaps, the aircraft utilizes flaperons, resulting in a stall speed of 52 km/h (32 mph) when fully deployed.
The kit offers either the 80 hp (60 kW) Rotax 912UL engine or an optional upgrade to the 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912ULS. Additionally, the 85 hp (63 kW) Jabiru 2200 engine is compatible.
Initially, the A-22 was equipped with a 40-litre fuel tank located behind the seats inside the fuselage; however, later models incorporated wing-mounted tanks holding 37.5 litres each. The propeller is a three-blade composite KievProp that can be adjusted on the ground. Standard dual controls are provided via a single central "Y" yoke, with an optional twin yoke setup available.
Military usage
Confronted with limited access to long-range precision weapons and restrictions on Western cruise missiles, Ukraine initiated development of loitering munitions aimed at targeting strategic assets deep within Russian territory. In the early stages, the Ukrainian Armed Forces employed modified fixed-wing aircraft sourced from civilian markets, including the A-22. Although purpose-built systems have since been produced domestically, converted unmanned A-22s continue to be operational.
Fabian Hoffman, a research fellow at the University of Oslo, characterizes these modified aircraft as "rather complex weapon systems," equipped with explosive payloads and guidance mechanisms. Their relatively low flight altitude complicates detection by enemy radar systems. These drones were deployed against a drone manufacturing facility in the Republic of Tatarstan in April 2024, and another reportedly targeted an oil refinery in the Republic of Bashkortostan in May 2024. On 6 November 2024, an A-22 loitering munition was reportedly used to strike a naval base located in Dagestan.
At least one A-22 has also been adapted for drone interception duties, targeting small fixed-wing drones while carrying a passenger armed with a Malyuk rifle.
Operational history
In April 2023, two Aeroprakt A22 aircraft piloted by Oleksandr Morozov and Dmytro Schymansky, members of the Ukrainian Civil Air Patrol, were downed and captured by Russian forces in Bryansk oblast. Both pilots faced trial and were convicted on charges including unauthorized border crossing, attempted aerial bombing, and firearm possession, being labeled as terrorists.
By April 2024, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had started deploying Aeroprakt A22 planes adapted as unmanned loitering munitions, enhancing their operational capabilities.
By July 2024, at least one A22 had been repurposed for drone interception roles. A video surfaced showing a pilot and gunner team engaging airborne Russian fixed-wing drones using a Malyuk automatic rifle.
On 6 November 2024, a loitering munition based on the A22 platform successfully struck several vessels of the Caspian Flotilla, damaging two Gepard-class frigates along with at least one Buyan-class corvette.
During the night of 30 January 2025 in Bryansk oblast, the 1st Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces (formerly the 14th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment) executed bombing missions targeting the Novozybkov pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline. The A22 drones used were not loitering munitions but remotely piloted fixed-wing dive bombers equipped with FAB-250 aerial bombs and additional smaller improvised explosives attached beneath their wings. At least one drone was shot down during these operations.
On 21 August 2025, similar drone dive bombers targeted the Unecha pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline, inflicting significant damage. This attack was followed up on 29 August 2025 by strikes on the 8-N pumping station near Naitovpovichi, which is part of Transneft’s infrastructure.
Between the night of 6 and 7 September 2025, drone dive bombers based on the A22 conducted another assault on the 8-N pumping station. Shortly thereafter, on the night of 7 September, these unmanned bombers also launched an attack against the Ilsky oil refinery located in Krasnodar Krai, causing a fire.
Variants
- A-22L2
- This is an ultralight model manufactured in Ukraine, featuring a maximum takeoff weight of 472.5 kg (1,042 lb) for the landplane version. The A-22L2 is also offered as a seaplane.[4]
- A-22LS
- Designed for the US light-sport aircraft market, this variant supports an increased maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg (1,323 lb).[6]
- A-22 UAV
- A modified loitering munition developed for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to conduct extended-range attacks within Russian territory. Its operational range is approximately 1,000 km (620 mi).[7] Although Aeroprakt’s founder and chief designer Yuri Yakovlev denied direct company involvement in these adaptations, he acknowledged the aircraft’s potential for conversion into an unmanned aerial vehicle.[5]
Military operators
Specifications (A-22 Valor, Rotax 912 ULS engine)
References
- ↑ "Aeroprakt A-22 Valor / Foxbat / Sharik / FPNA Capetown". All-aero. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bayerl, Robby; Berkemeier, Martin; et al. (2011). "World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12". World Directory of Light Aviation. Lancaster: WDLA UK: 20. ISSN 1368-485X.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bertrand, Noel; Coulon, Rene; et al. (2003). "Aeroprakt A-22". World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04. Lancaster, OK: Pagefast: 118. ISSN 1368-485X.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tacke, Willi; Boric, Marino; et al. (2015). "Aeroprakt A-22". World Directory of Light Aviation 2015–16. Flying Pages Europe: 17. ISSN 1368-485X.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedFinnerty - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedaeroprakt.de - ↑ IISS 2025, p. 156.
Bibliography
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (12 February 2025). "Chapter Four: Russia and Eurasia". The Military Balance. 125 (1). Taylor & Francis: 152–205. doi:10.1080/04597222.2025.2445476. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
External links
