Новые виды БПЛА России

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• The article talks about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Russia and their development.
• Moscow became the undisputed leader in the field of manufacturing drones in the 1980s.
• It produced 950 Tu-143 reconnaissance UAVs alone in the said period.
• The manufacturing was wound up by the Defense Ministry since they no longer had either the money or ideological reasons to commission UAVs.
• The article states the Americans who prompted the Russian military to revive the program since successful U.S. operations using UAVs in Afghanistan and Pakistan showed that no war of the future could be conducted without such methods.
• The 2008 war in South Ossetia prompted Russia to develop its own unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) due to the essentiality of drones.
• The article provides information about the different classes of UAVs developed in Russia along with their mass, range, take-off weight, and names.
  • Light UAVs of medium range. A number of domestic samples can be attributed to this class of UAVs. Their mass varies between 50-100 kilograms, which includes T92M “Chibis”, ZALA 421-09, Dozor-2, Dozor-4, Bee-1T.
  • Medium UAVs. The take-off weight of medium-sized UAVs ranges from 100 to 300 kilograms. They are designed for use at ranges of 150-1000 kilometers. In this class: M850 “Astra”, “Binom”, La-225 “Komar”, T04, E22M “Berta”, “Berkut”, “Irkut-200”.
  • Medium-weight UAVs. This class has a range of application similar to the UAVs of the previous class, but they have a slightly higher take-off weight - from 300 to 500 kilograms. This class includes: “Hummingbird”, “Dunem”, “Dan-Baruk”, “Aist” (“Julia”), “Dozor-3”.
  • Medium-range heavy UAVs. This class includes UAVs with a flight mass of 500 and more kilograms, designed for use at medium ranges of 70-300 kilometers. In the heavy class the following: Tu-243 “Flight-D”, Tu-300, “Irkut-850”, “Nart” (A-03).
  • Heavy UAVs of long duration flight. The article states that very few samples of this category of unmanned aerial vehicles exist in Russia (

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• Developers in Russia have released details for a new variant of the Orion-E drone that is equipped with bombs and rockets to take down emplacements, troop formations, and moving vehicles.
• The new Orion-E variant has a range of armaments, including both unguided and targeted bombs.
• The Orion-E drone is capable of flying seven kilometers above the ground, has a wingspan of 16 meters, and can carry up to 200kg of explosives.
• The drone has been deployed for airstrikes in Syria against the Islamic State terrorist group.
• Nine units of the Orion-E surveillance drone were sold to foreign customers since it became available in 2019.
• Russia’s Kronshtadt Group weapons firm, which developed the Orion-E drone, plans to spend $52 million on a new factory to mass-produce drones.
• Dmitry Shugaev, director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, stated Russia expects to occupy up to 10% of the international UAV market with its reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicles in the medium term.
• A heavily armed version of the Orion-E drone is currently under development, along with other new drones.
• The new combat version of the Orion-E drone was set to be revealed at the MAKS-2021 military air show.
• Russia is looking to become a major player in the UAV export market and has sold other combat drones, such as the Okhotnik (Hunter), in the past.
• The Orion-E drone was previously only available for sale in a surveillance version without armaments.
• Over 900 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles have entered into active service since 2012.
• The new manufacturing plant for drones will be Russia’s first of its kind.
• The drone market is projected to continue growing in the coming years, with increased demand from various sectors, including military and commercial industries.
• Several countries around the world, including the United States, China, and Turkey, are also investing heavily in drone technology and innovation.
• The rapid development and deployment of drones also present new challenges related to security and protection of sensitive information.
• Russia is also developing other advanced weapons systems, including nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles, to bolster its military capabilities and maintain its position as a global power.

• Kronshtadt Orion is a family of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) developed by Kronstadt Group
• There are several variants of the drone, both for Russia’s domestic and export market
• The Orion is an unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle (reconnaissance variant) and unmanned combat aerial vehicle (armed variant) that is currently in service
• The primary user is the Russian Ground Forces
• The Original version was called Inokhodets and can carry four guided bombs or four missiles and has a maximum payload of 200 kg
• The Orion-E is the export version of the Orion, and export contracts for the reconnaissance version of the drone have been signed
• The Orion-2 or Helios is a larger version with a bigger payload classified as a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV, rather than the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) classification of the original Orion. It weighs 5 tonnes (11,000 pounds) with a wingspan of 30 meters (98.42 feet)
• The Inokhodets-RU or Sirius is an upgraded variant of the Orion with a bigger and different design, the key difference being twin engines. It’s a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) attack UAV, with a wingspan of 30m, length of 9m, and height of 3.3m. It has a maximum combat load of 450kg, cruise speed of 295km/h, maximum altitude 12,000m, and an endurance of 40 hours.
• The development of Orion began in 2011 as part of the Russian MoD-funded Inokhodets program
• The first layout of Orion was revealed to the public in 2013-2015, and test flights started in May 2016
• According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Orion was tested for strike missions in 2019 in Syria
• The Russian Defense Ministry received the first batch of Orion drones for trial operation in 2020
• On 24 August 2021, the Russian MoD and Kronshtadt signed a deal for the procurement of 5 combat groups of an upgraded version of Orion, Inokhodets-RU (also known as Sirius)
• The delivery of Inokhodets-RU to the Russian army is expected in 2023, and the Russian army plans to receive several drones within each combat group
• In addition to being used in

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• Since the beginning of the anti-terrorist operation in Syria in September 2015, Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have performed more than 23,000 flights amounting to a total of 140,000 flight hours.
• The UAV units have provided round-the-clock monitoring of the ground situation throughout Syrian territory and ensured effective use of precision weapons on the infrastructure of international terrorists without any casualties among the civilian population.
• As of 2018, Russian Army claimed to have over 1,900 UAVs in service and unmanned aviation services are created in the headquarters of military districts and formations, with UAVs being included in almost all operational and military training activities.
• In Exercise Vostok 2018, held in September 2018, more than a quarter of a million troops were involved along with some 1,000 aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. Special tactical exercises involving UAV crews took place at three training grounds in the Leningrad, Voronezh, and Moscow regions during which UAV crews gathered intelligence for various units over various terrains.
• Various unmanned aerial systems like Grushas, Eleron, Granat, Orian-10, and Forpost were involved in the exercises.
• More than 200 Eleron-3 short-range tactical UAVs manufactured by ENICS JSC are in service with the Russian Armed Forces.
• The Izhmash Granat-4, ORIAN-10, and Eleron-3 UAVs were among those that saw extensive use in the conflict in Donbass, Ukraine.
• Recent operations of their first generation systems, mainly Orlan-10, have shown how vulnerable they are to both ground and air attack. Ukrainian officials have claimed to have shot down or captured at least ten Orlan-10s and two Forpost UAVs since 2014.
• Korsar UAV developed by Luch Design Bureau, part of Ruselectronics Group, is the next-generation multirole UAV entering production equipped with an electronic warfare (EW) system and has a maximum mission radius of 120 km.

• In September 2018, Kronshtadt Group unveiled a strike-capable variant of the Orion-E MALE UAV. Orion-E has a MTOW of 1,000kg and is capable of automatic take-off and landing carrying surveillance payloads of up to 200kg. It has service ceiling of 7,500 m, a range of 250km and an endurance of 24 hours.

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• Russia is developing multiple long-range attack UAVs to compete with the US and China.
• Army Technology lists the top five of Russia’s long-range attack drones under development, based on their technical specifications.
• The top five Russian long-range attack drones are Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter), Grom (Thunder), Altius-U, Kronstadt Sirius, and Kronshtadt Orion.
• The S-70 Okhotnik-B (Hunter) is a combat drone being developed by Sukhoi Design Bureau and Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG.
• The drone incorporates a flying wing design, and its composite fuselage is covered with radar-absorbing paint, offering a lower radar cross-section.
• The UCAV can be installed with electro-optical targeting, communication, and reconnaissance payloads.
• The drone has a maximum take-off weight of 20t, making it larger than its Western counterparts such as Dassault nEUROn and Northrop Grumman X-47B.
• The length and wingspan of the drone are 14m and 20m, respectively.
• The drone features two internal weapon bays that can hold up to 2,000kg of guided and unguided munitions, including air-to-surface missiles and bombs.
• The drone is expected to fly at a speed of 1,000km/h and attain a maximum range of 6,000km.
• Grom (Thunder) is a stealth combat drone designed by Kronstadt.
• The drone bears a striking resemblance to the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
• The drone has a maximum take-off weight of 7t and can carry a maximum payload of 2,000kg.
• The drone can fly at a cruise speed of 800km/h and reach a maximum altitude of 12,000m.
• The combat radius of the UAV is 700km.
• The Altius-U medium altitude long endurance (MALE) drone is being developed by Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA).
• The attack and reconnaissance capabilities of the drone are believed to be comparable to that of RQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs.
• The drone made its first flight in August 2019.
• The fixed-wing design of the unmanned aerial vehicle incorporates a large high-mounted wing, a V-tail configuration and a three-leg retractable landing gear.
• Altius is powered by two new VK-

• Russia’s Kronshtadt company has engineered the Orion combat drone, a medium-altitude, long-duration, unmanned aerial system.
• The drone is equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras and is controlled by a “pilot” on the ground. The drone can also carry out reconnaissance while patrolling a specific area.
• The drone is capable of carrying four air-to-surface missiles, accelerating to 200 km per hour climbing to 7.5 km can operate for as long as 24 hours.
• The drone can carry a combat payload of 250 kg.
• The Orion drone has KAB-20 and KAB-50 aerial bombs including UPAB-50 guided gliding aerial bombs. The drone can take on other drones during combat.
• The attack drone was launched during tensions along the Ukraine border last year and fired an air-to-air munition at an unmanned vehicle during testing. The drone also fired at ground targets during the exercise at the Crimean training ground.
• Putin had earlier criticised Kiev for deploying Turkish-made drones in its conflict with pro-Moscow separatists during a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The introduction of the drone is being seen as a potential game-changer in the Russian-Ukraine struggle.
• International monitors in eastern Ukraine, who use unmanned aircraft to report ceasefire violations, have recently said their drones were being jammed.
• Kronshtadt Company had said unmanned aerial vehicles like the Orion are becoming more autonomous with the introduction of artificial intelligence.
• Drone development is part of a major push for weapons development under Putin, who has made increased Russian military might a cornerstone of his two-decade rule.
• The warplane, given the project name “Checkmate,” is likely to be touted as a rival to the US F-35 stealth fighter. The Checkmate can attack up to six targets simultaneously on land, air, or sea, “even under conditions of strong electronic interference,” the manufacturers said.
• The Checkmate is capable of carrying drones and launching them during flights.
• Reports first surfaced in May 2020 that the jet was being manufactured and was unveiled last year with the ability to carry and launch drones in flight.
• According to the launch video, it was developed “in record time”.
• Putin said the military already had more than 2,000 drones at its disposal. Drones have proven their effectiveness in recent conflicts and that Russia had developed defenses against their use, including against terrorist drone attacks in Syria.
• Reports suggest that Russia has

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• Russia has experience using UAVs in contemporary conflicts and is using the data to assess future requirements for procuring drones and producing UCAVs for operational strike options
• The General Staff is learning from the use of UAVs in conflicts involving Russia’s Armed Forces in Ukraine and Syria, and drawing on the experience of foreign militaries to ascertain the role and future capabilities of such systems
• Before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia had considerable UAV and UCAV platforms in service, but they were under-used
• Russia’s renewed drive to introduce UAVs and UCAVs in greater numbers and diversify their mission types represents an effort to correct historical gaps in military modernization
• Engaging in national military self-correction is an integral element of the post-2008 reforms, with the integration of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) as a central and critical feature
• Battlefield sensors to enhance ISR utility of UAVs are a key characteristic of Russian UAS systems, with a weight of priority in Russia’s UAS inventory likely to remain heavily tilted in favor of ISR
• Russia has sought to also develop heavy-strike UCAVs, and is working to rebalance between unmanned aerial assets designed for ISR on the one hand and reconnaissance-strike and strike systems on the other
• Moscow has been building domestic defense-industry capacity to furnish the Armed Forces with modern UAVs, reducing its dependency on foreign procurement
• The Armed Forces have been populated with UAV complexes to help fill the void in ISR, as well as provide aiding in target acquisition and accuracy of fires
• The complex process of introducing new systems and integration of these with the developing C4ISR architecture will require further modernization and time
• Procurement of ISR-focused UAVs has benefited from testing and refinements during operations in Ukraine and Syria, drawing on lessons learned from these conflicts to improve and develop the role and potential utility of UASs
• Russia has tested and developed new UCAVs, such as the S-70 Okhotnik, which marks progress towards the development of heavy-strike unmanned aerial assets
• Lessons drawn from the under-performance of Russian-built tactical air-defense systems, exposed by Azerbaijan using UAV and UCAV reconnaissance-strike and strike systems in conjunction with electronic warfare, have not changed the course of Russian UAS priorities or planning
• The 2020 Second Karabakh War confirmed and consolidated Russian military thinking in relation to these systems.

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