First Parsec successfully tests jet engine for deep strike drones

Ukrainian company First Parsec has successfully tested its own SHOOM‑20 jet engine, which produces 20 kg of thrust. The team told Defender Media that it is working to extend the engine’s continuous operation to two hours.

According to Oleksiy Vynokur, the company’s CEO, the engine can run on various types of fuel and is relatively inexpensive to produce, with the prototype estimated to cost around $500.

“SHOOM‑20 operates with our developments – the deep‑strike KROOK‑1 and the SUETA decoy drone. But it is versatile enough to be used with other UAVs,” Vynokur said.

The engine has undergone internal testing so far. Following refinements, the team plans to conduct trial drone flights over distances of up to 200 km in the coming weeks. If successful, drones equipped with this engine could reach a maximum range of around 800 km.

The development is funded through grants from the state cluster Brave1 and the company’s own resources.

First Parsec is a Lviv‑based aerospace startup developing rockets for orbital payload delivery. In the autumn it was reported that the company had developed a Shahed‑style jet analogue – the strike drone KROOK‑1.