Loitering ammunition, also called "kamikaze" UAVs, which are unmanned vehicles launched both from the surface of the earth and from air and sea carriers, equipped, in addition to reconnaissance and surveillance equipment, with a warhead integrated with the aircraft itself, are currently received by all more widespread in various countries of the world.
The development of the theme of loitering ammunition seems to be due to a number of reasons.
The rapidly evolving military operations in modern conflicts significantly increase the role of systems that can lead to a reduction in the detection-defeat cycle. Loitering munitions work just to solve this problem, combining the functions of reconnaissance, observation and destruction. In addition, due to the same circumstance, such decisions are more high-precision and more selective weapons than, for example, artillery systems, which leads to a decrease in collateral losses among the civilian population.
In addition, kamikaze drones are superior to unguided bombs in their accuracy. At the same time, the problem is solved without risk for the crews of manned aircraft - carriers of classical bomb weapons.
In general, it can be said that loitering ammunition is to a certain extent an alternative to armed drones, being much simpler and cheaper systems.
As a result, the generally well-known idea of loitering ammunition on the wave of the success of the development of microelectronic, radio and optoelectronic technologies received a new burst of development, resulting in the emergence of a number of new systems with different technical characteristics in various technologically developed countries of the world.
ISRAEL
Perhaps one of the first systems with loitering ammunition that appeared on the market was the Harpy system developed by the Israeli concern Israel Aviation Industries (currently Isarael Aerospace Industries - IAI), designed to defeat enemy air defense systems. The first flight took place in 1989.
The Harpy 2 m delta wing has a takeoff weight of 125 kg. The UEL AR731 Wankel rotary piston engine was originally used as the power plant, and a high-explosive fragmentation warhead was located in the head of the drone. Launch - from a container launcher using solid-state boosters. The maximum flight duration is 3 hours.
In September 2009, the Indian Air Force purchased 10 modified systems called Harop for $ 100 million (more about it below). Also, this system was supplied to the Armed Forces of Israel, China, Turkey, Chile, South Korea. A modified version of the Harpy was offered to the UK under the IFPA program.
In the development of the Harpy project in 2001-2005, the IAI company created the Harop UAV. Its first public display took place in 2009 at the Aero India Air Show. Conceptually, the device is similar to its predecessor, but it is built according to the "duck" scheme, has a different shape of the fuselage and a more complex wing shape with a span of 3 m. In addition to the radar seeker, it is also equipped with an optoelectronic surveillance system developed by IAI Tamam on a rotary turret. The UAV is launched from a container launcher placed on various carriers.
The aircraft has a wingspan of about 3 m and a take-off weight of 135 kg. The UAV is also equipped with a rotary piston engine, which drives a pusher propeller. It was reported that the device can perform flights for up to six hours at ranges of up to 1000 km. In addition to Israel, the system was also supplied to India and Azerbaijan. Apparently, the first combat use of this UAV was its use during armed clashes on April 1-4, 2016 in Nagorno-Karabakh.
It is also known that IAI is developing a lighter version of the Harop UAV. It was reported that its dimensions will be five times smaller than the Harop. A lighter warhead will weigh about 3-4 kg. The flight duration will be 2-3 hours. It is possible that it can become the ancestor of a new family of small-sized loitering ammunition.
Specializes in the creation of kamikaze UAVs and another Israeli company - UVision. The Hero line of loitering ammunition systems currently offered by the company includes six models.
The three lighter systems Hero 30, Hero 70 and Hero 120 are short-range and short-range systems. They are all made with a cruciform wing and cruciform tail. An electric motor is used as a power plant on each of the UAVs. All variants have low acoustic and thermal unmasking features.
The portable tactical system Hero 30 weighing 3 kg has a warhead weighing 0.5 kg. The maximum flight duration is 30 minutes, the range is 5–40 km. The main purpose is called actions against enemy manpower. The developers plan to present a special version of this system for American customers in the future. Hero 70 with a takeoff weight of 7 kg and a warhead weighing 1, 2 kg can operate at ranges up to 40 km, loitering for 45 minutes. It can be used against enemy vehicles. The third model - the Hero 120 UAV weighing 12.5 kg - carries a 3.5-kilogram warhead, which makes it possible to use it against various structures, as well as lightly armored vehicles. Its range is the same as the previous model, and the flight duration can be up to 60 minutes.
Three more of the six mentioned systems developed by UVision have increased tactical and technical characteristics and can be classified as medium-range systems. Unlike the three junior systems in the line, they are made according to the "high-wing" scheme. The tail is also cruciform. All of them use internal combustion engines that run on gasoline.
The 25-kilogram Hero 250 UAV can fly for up to 3 hours, carrying a 5 kg payload on board. The range is 150 km. The heavier Hero 400 with a takeoff weight of 40 kg already has a flight duration of at least 4 hours with the same range. An integrated warhead weighing 8 kg allows this system to be used against a wide range of operational targets, among which the company, in particular, mentions tanks and other armored vehicles. Finally, the Hero 900 closes the second three UAVs from UVision. At the moment, this is the heaviest loitering ammunition in the company's lineup. Its takeoff weight is 97 kg, including a 20-kg warhead. According to the development company, the duration of the UAV flight is 7 hours, and the range reaches 250 km, which, however, seems somewhat optimistic.
Another Israeli company Aeronautics Defense Systems, known for its development in the field of UAV systems, has supplemented its line of drones with the Orbiter 1K patrolling ammunition. The device is designed to engage a variety of targets at tactical depth, including enemy manpower, as well as mobile and stationary targets, including lightly armored ones.
The development is based on the Orbiter 2 UAV and has a high degree of unification with it. The device is made according to the "flying wing" scheme. The electric motor rotates the pushing screw. The range is from 50 km to 100 km. The onboard load weighing 2.5 kg includes an optoelectronic / infrared camera of the Controp STAMP series and a high-explosive fragmentation warhead that "delivers special tungsten balls." The system has a mode of terminating the task and returning to the starting point.
USA
The United States also has several projects of loitering ammunition, mostly of a small class. For example, the well-known developer of unmanned systems, AeroVironment, offers an unmanned kamikaze vehicle called Switchblade. The device is made with a folding tandem wing. The launch is carried out from the launch tube. The total weight of the system is only 2.5 kg. The device can perform flights for up to 10 minutes at a distance of up to 10 km from the operator. This system is already in service with the US Army. There have also been experiments to assess the possibilities of using various carriers for this UAV, including aviation and naval.
The Lockheed Martin company is also engaged in work on loitering ammunition. So, the company's missile division has developed the Terminator system. Initially, the device was planned to be created in the form of a twin-screw midplane with a straight wing. However, in 2015, the company showed a completely revised project of this UAV. It is a single-engine, low-wing, inverted-V tail unit. It has been reported to use nylon-based 3D printing technology. The launch is made from a shipping container (Terminator-in-Tube concept - TNT). A two-channel surveillance system is installed at the head of the UAV. It was reported that the system can use a variety of warheads, including fragmentation and thermobaric.
Textron, also involved in the work on UAV systems, has developed the BattleHawk loitering ammunition with a parabolic wing span of about 0.7 m. It is a lightweight portable system with a total mass of less than 4.5 kg, which is a solution that combines 40 -mm high-explosive fragmentation grenade developed by Textron and mini-UAV Maveric by Prioria Robotics. It was first shown in 2011. A high-resolution surveillance system is installed on board, which allows tracking and targeting moving targets. The launch is carried out using a launch tube. The flight duration is about 30 minutes, the range is 5 km.
EUROPE
Among Western European countries, perhaps the most illustrative example is MBDA, a joint venture between BAE Systems, Airbus Group and Finmeccanica. Here, since the late 1990s, the development of the Fire Shadow loitering ammunition has been carried out for the needs of the British Ministry of Defense. A UAV with a takeoff weight of about 200 kg takes off from a ground platform from a catapult or from a launch container. The wing of the vehicle is foldable, the consoles fold out into the flight position during takeoff. According to the developer company, if necessary, the device can patrol in a given area for up to 6 hours.
In the spring of 2008, the first flight of the Fire Shadow device was performed, which confirmed the characteristics laid down in it by the developer. As a result, in June of the same year, the UK Department of Defense signed a contract with MBDA to further develop the system. In 2012, MBDA announced the start of mass production of the Fire Shadow. In the same year, the first batch of 25 systems was delivered, but the combat use, which was supposed to be carried out in Afghanistan, according to available data, did not happen.
In addition to this project with a fairly heavy UAV, MBDA also offered loitering ammunition based on a mini-UAV with an inflatable wing and an electric motor. The TiGER (Tactical Grenade Extended Range) was equipped with two 40 mm grenades. The flight duration and range were extremely short - a few minutes and about 3 km, respectively.
Corresponding developments are underway in Eastern Europe as well. Thus, the Polish company WB Electronics offers a loitering ammunition with a modular payload Warmate. It was first shown to the public in 2014. A small-sized vehicle with a takeoff weight of 4 kg with a folding wing is launched from a special container. Warmate can be used both against enemy personnel and against lightly armored vehicles. On the device, in addition to the optoelectronic observation system of the Polish design, both cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation warheads can also be used. The range is 10 km, and the maximum flight duration, which can be performed in automatic, semi-automatic, or manual modes, is 30 minutes. As far as is known, the company, in addition to the Polish Armed Forces, has already supplied these systems to Ukraine. According to reports, they were used during the hostilities in the Donbass. There are plans to promote these systems further in the post-Soviet space.
It is curious that some developments in the field of loitering ammunition are also available in neighboring Belarus. At the Army-2016 exhibition, a prototype of a similar apparatus developed by the Scientific and Production Center "Unmanned Aircraft Complexes and Technologies" was shown, which is supposed to be used from the Burevestnik UAV (one under each wing console). The mass of the loitering ammunition is 26 kg, including a 10-kg warhead. As reported, when launched from a carrier at an altitude of 3.5 km, the range will be at least 36 km.
WANTED ON THE PLANET
Loitering munitions are currently one of the promising areas in the development of unmanned aircraft systems. They are well suited for missions that require rapid action in a rapidly changing combat environment. In anticipation of further progress in the development of loitering ammunition, companies from a number of technologically advanced countries of the world are developing such systems. Some of them are carried out with the financial support of the military departments of the countries concerned, and some of them are carried out on an initiative basis at their own expense. However, today we can say that the development of technologies has made it possible to bring their capabilities to a level that allows us to assume that this direction will have good prospects and demonstrate further growth.
