In the coming year, the Russian Ministry of Defense will test several samples of Russian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in trial operation. In total, next year it is planned to purchase about 10 Orlan-10 complexes, as well as 20-25 samples of Eleron-10, Lastochka and Navodchik-2 each.
The program of preliminary tests of the UAV "Eleron-10" (T-10), belonging to the class of small unmanned aerial vehicles, ended a year ago. UAV flight speed range, 140 - 180 km / h, flight altitude - from 100 to 1000 m, flight duration - 6 hours, takeoff weight 12 kg, wingspan - 2, 2 m. parachute. The complex, produced by the Kazan company "Enix", is designed to solve the tasks of aerial reconnaissance and surveillance. On the unmanned aerial vehicle, it is possible to install jamming equipment, repeaters, and other equipment.
The multifunctional complex of UAVs of the Orlan 10 series, developed by the Special Technological Center, is also primarily intended for solving reconnaissance tasks. The unmanned vehicle included in the complex has a take-off weight of up to 11.5 kg and a wingspan of about 2.4 m. The UAV can fly for up to 4 hours at a distance of up to 50 km from the ground control station. The complex allows simultaneous control of up to 4 UAVs. At the same time, any UAV can work as a repeater for the rest. The Navodchik-2 complex can be composed of four types of UAVs of various weights - from 2 to 20 kg, with an information transmission range within the direct radio line of sight from 5 to 70 km. In the tables, the flight altitude above sea level is not more than 3.000 meters, the cruising speed is 50 km / h, and the maximum speed is 150-160. Finally, the "Swallow" of the Izhevsk company ZALA AERO has a flight duration of 2 hours, an altitude of 3.6 km, a wingspan, a take-off weight of 4.5 kg and a speed of up to 165 km / h.
The next development of drones is next in line. “We are now at a stage when the accumulated amount of information is growing into a new quality - the beginning of practical work on the creation of complexes with unmanned helicopters,” notes Gennady Bebeshko, director for complexes with unmanned helicopters of JSC Russian Helicopters.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev explained such a turn towards a domestic manufacturer as follows: “We had certain problems with unmanned aerial vehicles, we were forced to make a decision to purchase a number of foreign samples. As a result, the quality of our drones has improved significantly, because our manufacturers are afraid of losing this market."
The head of state noted that it is necessary "not to guarantee money cashing, but to identify the most prepared manufacturers as a result of competitive placement of orders."
In general, the plans to equip the Russian Air Force with drones look quite impressive. According to the Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Igor Sadofiev, by 2020 it is planned to purchase 1,500 aircraft and modernize more than 400 aircraft and helicopters. And the number of unmanned aerial systems in the Air Force should be 30% of all military aviation. Plus, in the Ground Forces, according to the staffing table, each brigade of the "new look" should have 16 tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
On the other hand, the Russian army lagged behind world leaders in terms of UAV equipment. For comparison, according to the 30-year plan for the development of the Air Force, developed by the Pentagon, in the next three decades, the number of drones in service with the United States is expected to quadruple. Currently, the US military uses about 6, 8 thousand different types of drones. In turn, at the recent air show in Zhuhai, China presented more than 25 UAVs of its own production. At the same time, the first device was presented by China at the same air show just four years ago.
“Now it’s hard to believe, but in the 50-80s it was our country that was the leader in the production of unmanned aircraft. Initially, these were remotely controlled targets with sub- and supersonic speeds for Soviet fighter aircraft, on which our aces were honing their combat skills, says one of the reports of Rosoboronexsprtort. Then, reconnaissance unmanned aircraft appeared. Helicopter-type UAVs and systems based on tethered balloons were developed. Since the 1970s, research has begun in the field of combat vehicles, as well as unmanned aircraft with high altitude and flight duration, intended for long-term reconnaissance and use as part of reconnaissance and strike complexes …”However, at that time these areas were not developed. And at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet aviation industry was loaded with orders for the production of manned combat aircraft.
In the current situation, we are not talking about leadership in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. While it is vitally important for the army not to lose the race.
