The technical innovations and well-known systems shown at the Army-2017 forum give a fairly holistic view of the state of work in terms of military robotic systems in Russia and equipping the Armed Forces of the country with them.
Despite the fact that the Orion-E UAV was first shown to the general public at MAKS, it also became one of the stars of the exhibition at the Army. The first domestic MALE-class drone is designed for patrolling, reconnaissance and additional reconnaissance of objects with the provision of target designation and fire adjustment, assessment of the results of strikes, topographic reconnaissance. According to the Kronstadt manufacturing company, Orion will be able to carry a payload of up to 200 kilograms and stay aloft for up to 24 hours. The range of the device is 300 kilometers. Depending on the task, several equipment options are provided.
UAV Jupiter-3 was presented at the exposition of the Aerostart design bureau from Yekaterinburg. The device with a maximum take-off weight of 150 kilograms is made according to a two-girder scheme with a pushing propeller, its operation is possible with a wheeled and ski landing gear. According to the company, the transmission of video data from the UAV is carried out at a distance of up to 100 kilometers. The device can carry 50 kilograms of payload. It is curious that the demonstration used as such a complex of aviation weapons, created on its own initiative by the Kursk experimental design bureau Aviaavtomatika together with the company VAIS-Tekhnika. Developments in this area include products weighing 15, 25, 50 and 100 kilograms, designed to deliver cargo in the form of a warhead up to 50 kilorammg at a distance of 12 to 20 kilometers in planning mode and up to 100 kilometers when using an engine. Targeting is performed using a laser system, as well as using a video control module.
The Aviation Systems Research and Production Association for the first time presented to the public a new unmanned aerial reconnaissance complex of tactical class TAKR 7001, which includes aircraft-type UAVs and helicopter-type UAVs. An unmanned helicopter of a multi-rotor scheme (quadrocopter) K-0107 with a takeoff weight of up to 5.1 kg can perform flights for up to an hour. The K-0106 aircraft type UAV is a high-wing aircraft that looks like the American Raven. However, in contrast to the latter, not a pushing, but a pulling screw is used. The vehicle equipped with an electric motor with a takeoff weight of up to 6.5 kilograms can remain in the air for up to an hour and a half. Both UAVs are equipped with a communication system of the company's own design, which allows maintaining control over the UAV at a distance of up to 15 kilometers. The developers offer a unified surveillance system as a payload.
"Companion" now has "Freeloader"
The heaviest ground model presented at the exhibition was the Vikhr reconnaissance and strike ground robotic complex (RTK), exhibited at the stand of the Main Research and Testing Center of Robotics of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. This is a development familiar from last year's exhibition. The complex based on the BMP-3 is designed to increase the combat capabilities of units, reduce personnel losses, protect important objects, and perform special tasks.
The armament of the complex, which may include a wide range of weapons, including a single or coaxial 12, 7-mm NSVT or "Kord" machine gun, 23-mm anti-aircraft machine gun 2A14, 30-mm automatic cannon 2A72, as well as ATGM "Kornet", flamethrower "Shmel-M", or foreign-made weapons, can be used in motion against ground and air targets. The complex is capable of working in conjunction with a helicopter-type UAV.
Concern "Kalashnikov" exhibited two also already known systems. The first is the Soratnik armored tracked vehicle, designed for reconnaissance and relaying, patrolling and protecting territories and important facilities, and demining. At the IDEX exhibition of weapons and military equipment held at the beginning of the year, it was reported that the Companion had already passed trial operation in the combat conditions of Syria.
The Companion's weight is up to seven tons. According to the developers, it is capable of moving at speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour with a power reserve of up to 400 kilometers. The system can operate in three modes - manual, automatic and semi-automatic. With remote control and line of sight, the range of the machine is up to 10 kilometers. The observation equipment installed on board allows detecting targets at a distance of up to 2500 meters. The combat load of the platform can be machine guns of 7, 62 and 12, 7 mm caliber, as well as a 30-mm automatic grenade launcher AG-17A and ATGM "Kornet", including the export version. According to the developers, "Companion" is capable of operating on the battlefield in conjunction with other automated systems, including UAVs.
The second of the systems shown by the concern is the "Nakhlebnik" combat robotic complex. The company positions it as the "younger brother" of the "Companion", which has a similar functionality and is armed with a four-barreled aircraft machine gun GSHG-7, 62.
An unusual development was shown at the "Army" by the Volga State Technological University. This is an unmanned snowmobile transport platform of the middle class weighing up to 110 kilograms with a shifted center of gravity. According to the developers, the goal of the project is to minimize human participation when operating in the area of harsh climatic conditions and to minimize the likelihood of human losses. Functionality - inspection and monitoring of vast territories, patrolling, urgent delivery of goods, search and rescue operations, work in conditions of radioactive contamination. The stability of the vehicle is ensured by a patented system that actively moves the center of gravity of the payload, that is, in the same way as a person drives a snowmobile.
Relatively portable land systems were also present at the exhibition. Thus, the company "Kronstadt" demonstrated a wearable mobile multifunctional robot reconnaissance for the engineering troops. The device weighing 16 kilograms on a tracked chassis is equipped with a manipulator. "Engineer-MR" is intended for work associated with a risk to human life, such as, for example, examination of hard-to-reach places and dangerous objects, manipulation of the latter, including exposure to a special tool, radiation, bacteriological, biochemical and other measurements, delivery and remote the use of special equipment.
Into the battle with the "Shadow"
The share of unmanned vehicles operating in the aquatic environment presented at the exhibition turned out to be quite substantial. The main research center of robotics of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation demonstrated the complex with AUV-gliders "Sea Shadow". It may include a research glider, a mini-AUV carrier glider, a relay glider, a ship launcher, and relay means.
The glider, about three meters long, has a diameter of 31 centimeters and a mass of 150 kilograms, including 15 kilograms of payload. It can reach speeds of up to two knots. Its maximum autonomy reaches six months. The portable underwater inspection vehicle "Akara", which is a part of the complex, is 1, 2 meters long and weighs no more than 10 kilograms, and has a duration of continuous operation of 1, 5 hours. Developing a speed of up to three meters per second, it can be operated at distances of up to 10-15 kilometers. When creating the device, a modular principle was used, which makes it possible to combine subsystems for various purposes.
The complex with an autonomous unmanned vehicle was developed in cooperation with the OKB of Oceanological Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is designed to accommodate search and research equipment and ensure its operation at depths of up to 300 meters. The maximum weight of the device, the body of which is made of aluminum and fiberglass, is 140 kilograms. It is also made in a modular manner and can be adapted for various tasks. Autonomy of work reaches 10 hours.
The company's representatives call the tasks for the solution of which the complex was created to carry out operational and long-term monitoring, inspection and examination of the state of objects of underwater infrastructure, search for objects at the bottom. For this, equipment with a total weight of up to 60 kilograms is installed on board. As the advantages of this system, we note the open architecture of the hardware, algorithmic and software parts of the complex, as well as the element base of domestic production.
The Kronstadt company also showed a project of an unmanned catamaran with an automatic traffic control system for working in water areas near the coastline. The device, which is an ultra-small self-propelled robotic surface vessel with a propulsion system powered by an electric motor, is a universal platform for placing devices with the ability to transmit the received data via a radio channel. The complex is proposed to be used for geospatial reconnaissance and search in the water column and at the bottom, monitoring the situation in the water area, tracking objects in the day and night, collecting data on depths and currents, etc. multicopter.
Hunting arsenal
The main research and testing center of robotics of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation demonstrated at the Army-2017 forum a portable complex "Stupor" designed to suppress unmanned aerial vehicles of various types, including multi-rotor helicopter UAVs located above ground and water surfaces at a distance of direct visibility … According to the developers, the complex provides suppression of satellite navigation, including GPS L1, L2, L3 signals, as well as 5, 8 GHz control channels and 2.4 GHz data transmission. In addition, the device may interfere with taking pictures and videos.
Another similar product is the REX 1 electromagnetic "gun", presented at the exhibition by specialists from the Zala Aero Group, a member of the Kalashnikov concern. According to the developers, the system provides suppression of signals from satellite navigation systems GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo within a radius of five kilometers, and can also block GSM, 3G, LTE signals and jam at frequencies of 900 MHz, 2, 4, 5, 2-5, 8 GHz.
For such purposes, the development of the already mentioned design bureau "Aerostart" is also intended - a system for monitoring and suppressing unmanned aerial vehicles "Zaslon". It allows you to generate a directional cone of radio interference, drowning the control UAV radio signal, as well as the satellite navigation channel, operating in the range of 433, 900, 1500, 1500-2400, 5300 MHz. Powered by a built-in battery, the device operates for 60 minutes.
Generalizing "Army"
This year the Army Forum was preceded by two major defense exhibitions - the Naval Salon in St. Petersburg and MAKS in Zhukovsky. Undoubtedly, both drew on themselves some of the new products, leaving their appearance in the Patriot park as the second or even the third screen. Nevertheless, interesting things and even some premieres were present at Army-2017.
The advantage of this exhibition is that devices operating in various environments could be presented here. This gives the most complete picture of domestic unmanned systems.
It is worth noting that their exposition was quite representative - almost all the main players operating on the Russian market were present, which in turn made it possible to draw certain conclusions.
Firstly, the process of creating domestic robotic systems, both aviation and land and sea, continues - new samples appear, the previously created ones are improved. Moreover, the developments are on a wide range.
Secondly, despite the fact that the Russian Ministry of Defense has established relations with a number of companies, the situation on the market cannot be called predetermined, fixed - new developers continue to appear, some enterprises are expanding their area of competence from one type or type of unmanned systems to others. There is competition, and this is undoubtedly a positive circumstance.
Third, the Russian military is showing much more progressive views on the use of a variety of unmanned systems than it was a few years ago. This commitment is in turn a motivating factor for developers.
Fourthly, Russian companies, which previously worked with an eye on foreign achievements, began more often to offer their own, at times in the full sense of the word, innovative solutions that sometimes surpass foreign models, and sometimes have no foreign counterparts at all.
And finally, fifthly, thanks to the experience gained in the operation of unmanned systems by the military, the proven practice of creating appropriate systems by industrial enterprises and the emerging cooperation, we can say that in the work carried out, there is a greater consistency than it was before.
