Russia UAV programs, News & Update

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In Russia, tests of the Goliath optical-electronic reconnaissance drone have been completed. The Goliath UAV is designed to conduct aerial reconnaissance in real time, capture and track a target on command from the operator, and destroy unarmored vehicles and personnel. The drone can be adopted by tactical units and Russian security forces. The drone is controlled from a remote control developed by engineers at the Kalashnikov Concern. The drone receives and transmits data in real time, which allows it to quickly respond to changes in the situation on the battlefield. The drone has an automatic return to base function if communication is lost and is capable of operating in poor weather conditions. The Goliath drone will be equipped with a multispectral optical-electronic module operating in the IR range. The drones are supplied in transport cases of various configurations: for six or for one drone. Both types of cases are equipped with a built-in charging system. There is no technical information on the drone.

 

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The Zerkaltse electronic warfare system for UAVs has appeared in Russia. The electronic warfare system scans video channels in flight; when an active video communication channel from another drone is detected, the system begins to suppress the signal of this frequency. In the video, you can see how the device records a signal at a frequency of 5825 MHz and weaker signals at other frequencies. The Zerkaltse electronic warfare system is designed primarily to suppress FPV drone control channels. It is reported that the electronic warfare system is effective. The Zerkaltse electronic warfare system scans about 80 channels in 5 seconds and records the most active ones, after which it begins to suppress the video stream. There is no technical data on the Zerkaltse electronic warfare system; presumably, it has a small range. The manufacturer, price, and what UAVs it is installed on are also unknown.

 

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An episode of the transfer of "Scalpel" drones to Russian servicemen has been published. Judging by the video, the transfer took place in the Kursk region of Russia, to which units is unknown. Russian "Scalpel" drones are considered a cheap analogue of the Russian "Lancet" drone. Their tests were last shown, judging by the video, the tests are finished and the "Scalpel" drones are being delivered to the troops in small batches.

 

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New footage of the tests of the Russian interceptor drone from Nova-Labs. Previous tests are in the link to the video in the comments to the video. The interceptor drone is equipped with machine vision and is able to independently recognize the target and aim at it. The drone performs kinetic interception of the drone, judging by the video quite effectively. There is still no technical information on the drone

 

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Russian military personnel tested a homemade FPV drone equipped with a flamethrower. Presumably, the drone is designed to intercept enemy drones, the drone will attack from above, hovering over the enemy drone. There is no technical information on the drone.

 

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Footage of testing a Russian interceptor drone equipped with a net from KPB Polet. According to the news, more and more companies are developing a device for intercepting drones using nets, they are usually inexpensive and effective. Earlier, we showed drones with similar devices that are already actively used by the Russian army. The net for intercepting drones from KPB Polet can be installed on any FPV drone. As reported online, some versions of drones with these nets can intercept drones autonomously without operator intervention, how this is implemented is unknown. The net can work effectively at a distance of 4 to 6 meters from the enemy drone, the diameter of the deployed net is about 2 meters. An electric fuse is used to activate the net.

 

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Footage of the assembly and launch of the improved Russian FPV drone aircraft "Molniya-2". Earlier we talked about the first version of the UAV "Molniya-1", these drones are considered simple and cheap. The improved UAV "Molniya-2" is now equipped with two engines, a new body and has an aerodynamic fairing. The drone is also equipped with an improved interference-proof command and telemetry module. The drone has an increased flight range and presumably the mass of the warhead, there is no technical information yet. The launch of the UAV "Molniya-2" is carried out using a catapult.

 

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Close-up footage of the Russian Gerbera drone has suddenly appeared in Belarus, according to some media, Bryansk region. The Russian Gerbera drone reportedly landed in a field. The video shows combine operators, presumably from Belarus, trying to start the UAV's engine. This is currently the only close-up footage of the Gerbera UAV, which is actively used by the Russian army.

 

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Russian troops have received the Chernika UAV, about 4,500 drones have been delivered since 2022, but they have only been reported now. The Chernika drone is made as a flying wing UAV, and is manufactured by the Innovative Technologies Corporation. There are two versions, the Chernika-1 UAV and the larger Chernika-2 UAV, with a wingspan of 2.2 meters. According to military personnel, the Chernika-2 UAV has proven itself well. The Chernika-1 drone is equipped with a 0.7 kg warhead, with the ability to activate after a specified time, the Chernika-2 UAV in a modernized version has a 3.5 kg warhead. Both drones are resistant to electronic warfare. The Chernika-2 UAV is designed to destroy buildings, dugouts, equipment, and enemy manpower. Usually, the drone automatically goes to the target at the specified coordinates, and at the end, the operator controls the drone's operation. The flight range of the UAV "Chernika-2", under good conditions, can reach 100 km, UAV "Chernika-1" up to 80 km, how this is implemented is unclear. The flight altitude of the UAV "Chernika-2" with a maximum load is up to 1 km, the flight time is up to 1.5 hours, without a load up to 2 hours. The flight speed reaches 60 km / h. Both models of drones are launched by hand or catapult, the price is not reported. The drone body was most likely copied.

 

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The first footage of the launch of the Russian reconnaissance UAV "Merlin-VR" has been published. The drone "Merlin-VR" was developed by the Smolensk Research Institute of Modern Telecommunication Technologies, based on the UAV "Merlin-21BM". The UAV "Merlin-VR" is one of the largest UAVs of the Russian army, its wingspan reaches 5 meters. The UAV can fly in automatic and semi-automatic modes, the flight time is up to ten hours. The drone's payload is 6.5 kg, it is capable of carrying various reconnaissance equipment and adjusting artillery. The drone's camera operates in the visible and infrared ranges at a distance of up to 30 km. The UAV uses a hybrid engine and can rise to an altitude of up to 5 kilometers.

 

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In Russia, troops of unmanned systems are being created, the formation of troops is planned to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. The role of drones and unmanned systems in the modern army is so high that a decision was made to form a separate branch of the Russian Armed Forces for unmanned systems. So far, these are only drones and remotely controlled robotic platforms, but with the development of artificial intelligence, they will turn into autonomous combat systems.
Currently, drone manufacturers in Russia have significantly increased their output: the monthly production of UAVs and FPV drones has reached 40 thousand items, and electronic warfare systems up to five thousand items. In total, more than 100 thousand items for various purposes were purchased from civilian manufacturers and small design bureaus.

 

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The first flight and production of the KUB-10E attack drone were shown in Russia. The KUB-10E UAV belongs to the KUB series of drones, but as can be seen from the video, the drone has become completely different. The KUB-10E drone is designed to destroy unarmored military equipment and other objects. The manufacturer does not report the flight range of the KUB-10E drone and its combat capabilities, but it is known that they have increased significantly. The previous version of the KUB drone could fly 50 km, technical information on it is on the channel, it has positive reviews from military personnel. The body of the KUB-10E drone is similar to the Granat-4 UAV, information about it is on the channel. Like the basic model, the new KUB-10E drone is launched from a catapult and reaches a speed of 100 km / h, at a flight altitude of 100 to 2.5 thousand meters. The weight of the warhead is not specified, in the basic version it was about 3 kg. The KUB-10E drone is guided by GPS coordinates or using an optical-electronic system. The drone is equipped with an internal combustion engine.