Russia UAV programs, News & Update

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The heavy transport unmanned aerial aircraft of the ultra-short take-off and landing “Partizan” has completed the first stage of flight testing. The UAV is based on the TVS-2MS aircraft. The flight of the heavy UAV lasted 20 minutes at an altitude of 200 meters at speeds from 50 to 200 kilometers per hour. During testing, a pilot was in the cockpit to monitor the parameters. An aircraft with a drone function was developed at the Siberian Aviation Research Institute named after Chaplygin. The Partizan UAV is designed to transport cargo and can be used for civil and military purposes. The Russian Partizan UAV is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system and can take off and land on a site measuring 50 by 50 meters, with obstacles at the border of the site up to 15 meters high. The flight range of the Partizan UAV is up to 1 thousand kilometers, at an altitude of up to 8000 meters with a maximum speed of over 300 km/h, payload weight of up to one ton. As reported, the Partizan unmanned aircraft will be 100% made in Russia. In 2024, it is planned to deploy a production complex and produce 10 serial copies of the Partizan heavy UAV.

 

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Russian specialists from the Sukhoi Design Bureau have successfully tested a prototype of a huge heavy vertical take-off and landing UAV. The BTS-VAB UAV is equipped with a hybrid power plant; the drone includes an electric lifting power plant and a piston propulsion engine. Vertical takeoff and landing are carried out by lifting electric motors located on the wing beams. Take-off, route flight and landing are performed fully automatically, without operator participation. During tests on the flight stand, control algorithms and operation of takeoff, hovering and landing systems were tested. The Sukhoi Design Bureau UAV does not require specially prepared sites for takeoff and landing and will allow solving a wide range of transport and logistics tasks. The drone can also accommodate weapons or reconnaissance equipment; the payload capacity of 300 kilograms allows this to be done. At the moment it is known that the UAV’s flight range will be up to 500 kilometers.

 

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Footage of workshops producing Russian kamikaze drones “Geran-2” has been published. Although it was previously reported unofficially where the production is located, we cannot disclose this. The Geranium-2 drone is a modernized and localized version of the Iranian Shahed-136 drone; there is a review of the drone on the channel. As can be seen from the video, truly mass production of drones has been established. Some drones are painted black for use at night, and some drones are known to be coated with a special radio-absorbing material. British experts examined one of the drones, and it follows from them that the drone has already become Russian. The body is now made of fiberglass and carbon fiber, the manufacturer has optimized and simplified the design. The drone's satellite navigation unit is based on the Russian Comet receiver; the antennas are integrated into the body. The Gerany-2 drones use boards with elements created on a 3D printer and an inertial measurement unit, which allows them to operate in conditions of poor satellite signal. The Russian drone “Geran-2” uses an engine produced by the Chinese company Beijing MicroPilot UAV Flight Control Systems MD550, it is similar to the Iranian engine MADO MD 550, the engine costs about 13 thousand dollars

 

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The Chinese company Tsingaero Armaments is going to launch the production of helicopter-type drones in Russia on the territory of Tatarstan. According to the head of the company’s board, the company “chose” Russia to implement this project and “perhaps it will be the only partner country.” The company's drones are used in the military sphere for reconnaissance, transportation, communications relay and battlefield surveillance. In addition, drone helicopters are used in the civilian field, for example, to extinguish fires. Tsingaero Armaments has developed drones and synchrocopters, their rotors are located at an angle to each other, their planes of rotation intersect. When using this scheme, the drone has higher stability and its load capacity is 30% higher. Accurate characteristics of drones on the screen. Depending on the model, drones have a carrying capacity of 60 to 250 kg, can stay in the air for 3 to 5 hours and have a flight range of 200 to 500 km, reaching speeds of up to 270 km/h.

 

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The Russian army has begun to use the Bee queen drone, but there is no technical information about it yet. The drone is made according to the VTOL scheme, that is, a hybrid of an airplane and a quadcopter, it is equipped with an internal combustion engine and can transport and launch FPV drones. Judging by its size, the Bee UAV can carry one FPV drone placed on top. The use of the Bee UAV as a carrier of FPV drones allows you to significantly increase the range of use of FPV drones, since the UAV relays signals from FPV drones and increases their range. Judging by the development of drones, unmanned aircraft will soon become a separate branch of the military.

 

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Russia has created a prototype of an interceptor drone. The Tarantula Birdcatcher drone was developed by Altai intelligence officers and is equipped with trap nets to intercept UAVs. In the video you can see how this drone works. The trap is not fired forward, but downwards, which makes it possible to confidently intercept only hovering drones; it will be more difficult to intercept moving UAVs. The new drone is being tested, there is no technical information, and funding is needed for serial production.

 

[Read Surah al Waqiah]

"Interesting development! Accelerating the delivery of the S-70 Okhotnik 'Hunter' UAV to 2024 showcases Russia's commitment to advancing its unmanned aerial capabilities. With its stealthy design and impressive specifications, including a substantial payload capacity and long flight range, this UAV certainly holds significant potential for various military applications. It's fascinating to see Russia joining the ranks of countries developing advanced UAV technology. Looking forward to seeing how this development progresses."

 

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Footage of work in Ukraine, a Russian drone with a target designation system. The operator, in real time, selects targets on video from the drone and transmits data with coordinates to artillery units. Judging by the video, the software package loads Google maps and is used to link to the area. The video shows artillery, presumably a mortar, being aimed at a Ukrainian BMP-2.
After being hit by one of the mines, the BMP-2 leaves the battlefield. The drone model and what kind of software it is are not reported.

 

[Soldier30]

Tests of the Russian Ovod-S FPV drone with a target homing system were published by the developers; we have previously shown this drone. The drone is equipped with an on-board homing system "Square". The homing system is implemented through two types of tracking: algorithmic, which uses technical vision, and neural network, for recognizing objects by the drone. Having captured a target, the drone continues to track it and engage it, regardless of whether it is a static or dynamic target. The cost of early versions of the Gadfly drone, without a homing system, is about 40 thousand rubles or 480 dollars.

 

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Russian military personnel inspected the landed Ukrainian UAV RQ-20 Puma of American production. The RQ-20 Puma UAV was developed by AeroVironment based on the FQM-151 Pointer UAV in 2007. The RQ-20 UAV is hand-launched and is designed for patrol, reconnaissance and fire support adjustments. The drone's bi-axis, gyro-stabilized multi-sensor system combines conventional and thermal imaging cameras. Each of them has 6x magnification. The system allows you to detect the enemy day and night. The drone has a waterproof body and can be equipped with solar panels; with them, the drone can fly for up to 9 hours, without them for up to 3.5 hours. The design of the drone is interesting; when it hits the ground, it falls apart in strictly defined places, making it easy to assemble and repair in the field. With a wingspan of 2.8 meters and a length of 1.4 meters, the maximum take-off weight of the UAV does not exceed 5.9 kg. The RQ-20 UAV reaches speeds of up to 83 km/h with a range of up to 15 kilometers, at an altitude of up to 15 meters. The expected cost of the RQ-20 Puma UAV is 250 thousand dollars or 23 million rubles. The UAV will be sent for examination by specialists.

 

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“The Kalashnikov Concern presented a new Russian UAV SKAT 350M. The drone is the result of a modernization of the well-proven Supercam 350 UAV, which often works in conjunction with the Lancet kamikaze drone; there is a video about all drones on the channel.
The UAV is designed for aerial surveillance, searching for objects in the optical and infrared ranges. The SKAT 350M UAV received a new design of the wing and control elements; its mechanical strength and reliability were improved. Many functions have been automated, an automatic operating mode has been introduced, and a new battery controller has been installed. A new target load has appeared, and technical solutions have been implemented to improve the functioning of daylight and thermal imaging cameras. A module with updated algorithms is also installed, providing target acquisition and tracking.
The SKAT 350M UAV is equipped with an electric motor and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h with a range of up to 100 kilometers at altitudes of up to 2000 meters. The weight of the UAV is 15 kg, the flight time is up to 4 hours, it is launched from a catapult.

 

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The developers of the Russian kamikaze FPV drone "Gadfly" showed the communication repeater they created for drones. Communication relay for FPV drones allows you to significantly increase the operating range of FPV drones, bringing it to 30 km and above. The repeater has a 33-meter cable and a transmitter that allows you to work from a shelter; it has a signal conversion system that allows you to work with a wide range of ground-based equipment. Production is still on a small scale, about 10 pieces per day. Details in the video.

 

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Russian developers of the kamikaze drone "Scalpel" described how they continue to improve the drone. Previously, we provided technical information about the Scalpel drone in the link to the video in the comments to the video. The "Scalpel" drone is a cheap analogue of the Russian kamikaze drone "Lancet", despite the fact that the drone is still being finalized, it is already being supplied to Russian troops to a limited extent. The drone's flight range is currently up to 40 km.

 

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Ammunition used on Russian FPV drones. Russian military personnel showed the ammunition they use to equip FPV drones. The main types of ammunition used are RPG-7, PG-7S armor penetration up to 400 mm of armor, PG-7L armor penetration up to 500 mm and TBG-7V is a thermobaric ammunition with a damage radius of up to 10 meters.
They also use a KZ-6 shaped charge, the charge penetrates armor up to 21.5 cm, a reinforced concrete slab up to 55 cm thick and soil to a depth of up to 80 cm. In Soviet times, when there was a threat of nuclear missiles being captured, they were supposed to be destroyed with KZ-6 charges. Details in the video.

 

[Soldier30]

Against the backdrop of news about the appointment of Andrei Belousov as Russian Minister of Defense, details have become known about the degree of localization of drone production in Russia. Despite the fact that they began to talk about the importance of developing the production of drones back in 2020 and began to intensively create production facilities for the production of components, the degree of localization of their production for 2023 is still low. Details in the video.

 

[Soldier30]

The Russian Tula Research and Production Association "Strela" has developed the kamikaze drone "Strela", it is already in the Russian troops. Thanks to its foldable design, the drone can be transported already charged and ready for use. The drone can overcome electronic warfare systems. The maximum flight range of a drone with a combat load of 3 kg is about 35 km; tests have already confirmed the drone’s operating distance of up to 24 km. The drone is equipped with a remote charge activation system. The drone can also be launched by hand if the charge weight does not exceed 1.5 kg. When using a drone as a reconnaissance aircraft, the flight time is about 1.5 hours. The weight of the Strela UAV in ready-to-use form is up to 7 kg, the price is not reported.

 

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The Russian electric unmanned helicopter "Alpha-E" was shown by the company "Quiet Wings". "Alpha-E". The Alpha-E helicopter-type UAV can perform comprehensive horizontal and vertical inspections, aeromagnetic reconnaissance, airborne laser scanning and aerial photography. It is possible that it can also be used by the military, the drone’s carrying capacity is up to 7 kg, which allows it to take a lot of ammunition. The drone can be equipped with a loudspeaker, spotlight, laser scanner, and aerial camera.
For navigation, the drone uses all currently existing satellite navigation systems. The Alpha-E helicopter drone is small enough that it can be transported in a car since the length of the drone is only 3 meters and its weight is 26 kg. The Alpha-E unmanned helicopter can operate at a range of up to 120 km, at altitudes of up to 1,100 meters at speeds of up to 120 km/h. The maximum flight time is 95 minutes. The price and elemental base of the drone are not reported.

 

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The Kalashnikov concern has begun serial production of the Russian modernized complex with the Granat-4 UAV; the drone is already in use by the troops. The UAV is produced by the Izhmash - Unmanned Systems company and is designed for reconnaissance of terrain using photo, video and thermal imaging equipment and transmission of the received information over a distance of up to 70 km. Upgraded in 2024, the Granat-4 UAV can now illuminate targets for use by artillery, adjustable artillery ammunition "Krasnopol", "Kitolov" and "Gran", target designation range is up to 3 km. There are few details about the new version; it is known that the control point based on the KamAZ truck used since 2022 has been abandoned. Now remote sets of equipment and more mobile vehicles are used. The Granat-4 UAV is made of composite materials and weighs 30 kg. The UAV is equipped with an internal combustion engine and reaches speeds of up to 140 km/h, with a flight altitude of up to 2000 meters, the UAV flight time is up to 6 hours. The Granat-4 UAV is launched from a catapult and lands by parachute.

 

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At the HeliRussia-2024 exhibition in Moscow, Belarus showed the second version of the Hunter drone helicopter, developed by KB Unmanned Helicopters. The unmanned, upgraded Hunter attack helicopter is designed to engage UAVs, naval drones, personnel, armored vehicles and reconnaissance. It is possible that Russia will purchase it, since the search for maritime drones is now important for the Russian army. The UAVHELI HD-300 system is installed on the UAV, which includes an automatic tracking system, an inertial module, a laser range finder, a TV camera and a thermal imager. The UAV is equipped with an on-board defense system, with an radiation warning station and a device for releasing false thermal targets. The Hunter UAV is armed with a turret with a 7.62 mm machine gun, two launchers for eight unguided missiles or 16 aerial bombs weighing 2.5 kg each. The helicopter is equipped with a 268 hp internal combustion engine. The maximum take-off weight of the helicopter is 750 kg, the payload is 200 kg, the helicopter reaches speeds of up to 190 km/h, at altitudes of up to 3500 meters, flight endurance of up to 6 hours.

 

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The heavy attack-transport UAV "Perun" was received by Russian troops. The drone was developed by former Wagner military personnel. It is not clear whether the military personnel themselves assemble the drone from foreign components, or whether it is a ready-made design; the drone’s software is reportedly Russian-developed. In the video you can see a soldier being transported by a drone, as well as the Fagot ATGM installed on the drone; we previously showed these tests. The drone is currently being tested to deliver cargo to military personnel, so it can be used for evacuating the wounded, reconnaissance and dropping ammunition. The drone can deliver landing groups behind enemy lines. During further testing, they plan to attach a machine gun and a installation for launching unguided aircraft missiles to the Perun drone. The carrying capacity of the Perun drone is up to 200 kg, the price and other technical characteristics are not reported.