Within the framework of the 3rd international exhibition and conference of unmanned systems and simulators UMEX-2018 (Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference), which was held in Abu Dhabi (UAE) from February 25 to 27, 2018, Ukraine presented its new attack unmanned aerial vehicle. In fact, we are talking about a loitering munition, or a kamikaze drone with an installed warhead, designed to strike ground targets. Experts fear that the new drones may be used by the Ukrainian military in hostilities in the Donbas.
UMEX is an annual exhibition and conference dedicated to modern unmanned systems. It has been held in the UAE since 2015. According to the organizers of the exhibition, in 2018 about 100 companies representing 20 countries of the world took part in it. New Ukrainian unmanned developments at the exhibition were demonstrated by the state foreign trade enterprise "Spetstechnoexport", the main activity of which is export-import relations on the world arms market.
According to the press service of the Spetstechnoexport company, on Monday, February 26, potential customers-visitors to the pavilion of Ukraine at the UMEX-2018 exhibition were shown UAVs developed and produced by state and private defense enterprises of the country, among which were noted air reconnaissance systems of tactical range, a kamikaze drone with an installed warhead (loitering ammunition), as well as UAV countermeasures.
All reconnaissance UAVs of Ukrainian production presented at the exhibition had experience in operation in combat conditions in the Donbass, where, according to the assurances of the Ukrainian side, they demonstrated high aerodynamic qualities and resistance to enemy electronic countermeasures systems. According to the report of "Spetstechnoexport", within the framework of the international exhibition UMEX, for the first time in 2018, two Ukrainian developments in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles were demonstrated to the public at once - this is a tactical drone PD-1AF with vertical takeoff, created by specialists of the company "Ukrspecsystems", and a kamikaze drone RAM UAV, created by engineers of the company "Defense Electronic Technologies". The last UAV can be safely attributed to loitering ammunition, which is jokingly called "the dream of an artilleryman."
RAM UAV at UMEX 2018
The British Department of Defense currently most clearly classifies loitering ammunition (BB) as inexpensive, guided, high-precision munitions that can be in the air for some time, being in the holding zone and quickly attacking ground and sea targets that are out of line of sight. BB are under the control of the operator, who visually monitors the environment and images of targets in real time, which allows him to control the height, direction and exact time of attack of a stationary, moving or moving target, and also contributes to the formal processes of identification and confirmation of target hit.
It can be noted that today, in loitering ammunition, shock and reconnaissance capabilities are interconnected. BB are distinguished by their ability to locate and identify threats and / or provide important intelligence information, as well as to provide high-precision impact on various types of ground targets in cases where there is a shortage of strike and tactical reconnaissance means.
Modern loitering ammunition can be used in complex environments, including built-up areas (urban areas), hard-to-reach areas and close combat scenarios, when there is a high risk of hitting your own troops and causing collateral damage, and the use of traditional artillery and missile attacks is unacceptable or unavailable, including because of its payload and trajectory. BB can also be deployed in accordance with complex rules of warfare, in which a small high-precision impact on detected targets will be more effective than shelling using traditional artillery systems, expensive air-to-surface missiles or free-fall bombs.
The Ukrainian loitering ammunition RAM UAV presented at the exhibition in Abu Dhabi uses a concept traditional for such systems. Such a drone performs a reconnaissance flight, and after detecting and identifying a target, the operator of the complex can decide to attack it with the help of a warhead integrated into the design of the UAV. According to representatives of the developer company, the widespread use of composite materials in the design of the kamikaze drone makes it invisible to enemy air defense systems. The presence of an electric motor with a low acoustic signature allows you to use this unit as stealthily as possible, even being at a short distance from possible targets.
The flight of the drone RAM UAV can take place in a fully automatic mode using the control system. The presence of a user control terminal makes it possible to plan a UAV flight, receive a picture from on-board video surveillance systems in online mode, and also issue a command to attack detected targets. The strike function of an unmanned aerial vehicle is realized by installing a warhead weighing up to 3 kg on it.
The dimensions of the apparatus themselves are quite compact - the wingspan is 2.3 meters, the length is 1.8 meters. The maximum take-off weight of the UAV is 8 kg. The takeoff of the RAM UAV loitering ammunition is carried out using a special catapult. According to the published official data, the maximum range of such a drone does not exceed 30 kilometers, and the flight duration is 40 minutes.
As a Russian expert in the field of unmanned systems noted in an interview with RIA Novosti correspondents, Denis Fedutinov, a trend towards the development of light loitering ammunition is clearly visible in the world today. Initially, the idea of developing such unmanned vehicles belonged to engineers from Israel and the United States, but today it is appreciated and picked up by developers from various countries. “The main advantage of this kind of drones is that they are technical solutions that have a very good cost-effectiveness ratio in detecting and then quickly hitting small targets and objects on the ground,” said Denis Fedutinov.
In general, it can be noted that the Ukrainian kamikaze drone RAM UAV, created by the specialists of the Defense Electronic Technologies company, is somewhat reminiscent of the drones of the terrorists who tried to attack the Russian Khmeimim air base in Syria in January 2018. They are based on an unmanned aerial vehicle with a warhead integrated into its design. The main difference is that the Ukrainian UAV is able to find and attack targets on its own, while the drones of Syrian terrorists were aimed at the target using GPS or mobile phone signals. At the same time, the RAM UAV loitering ammunition is able to solve the same range of tasks - sabotage, the destruction of enemy personnel and equipment, including aircraft and helicopters in the parking lot, artillery crews and other ground targets.
The Spetstechnoexport company has not yet announced plans to send RAM UAV vehicles into the combat zone. At the same time, experts are sure that the issue of sending loitering ammunition to Donbass is only a matter of time. The drone is currently being tested, as is the modern reconnaissance UAV Gorlitsa, which has a flight range of up to a thousand kilometers. Earlier, Oleksandr Turchynov, who holds the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said that the first flight tests of the Gorlitsa drone had already been carried out. Turchinov noted that the Gorlitsa UAV, which is produced by the state-owned Antonov enterprise, will be able not only to conduct aerial reconnaissance and provide adjustment and guidance of artillery fire, but also to carry out shock functions, being the carrier of two air-to-surface missiles.
