The development of unmanned aircraft is among the priorities for the RF Ministry of Defense. Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Sergei Dronov, spoke about this in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper. The conversation was timed to coincide with the Day of Formation of Russian Military Aviation, which is celebrated on August 12.
“The development of unmanned aircraft is one of the priority areas of construction and development of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Equipping troops with unmanned aerial vehicles will significantly increase the effectiveness of their use, as well as ensure a reduction in personnel losses, ”the military leader said.
According to Dronov, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) proved their effectiveness and necessity during the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria.
“The effectiveness of the use of unmanned aircraft was confirmed during a special operation in the Syrian Arab Republic. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles ensured the infliction of high-precision destruction of targets of illegal armed groups, ”said Dronov.
- Unmanned aerial vehicle "Altius-U"
- RIA News
- © Ministry of Defense of Russia
He noted that in 2021, the Russian Aerospace Forces will begin to receive multipurpose attack drones capable of hitting enemy targets located at a great distance with high-precision ammunition.
“Currently in service are complexes with short-range, short-range and medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles. Next year, the troops will begin to receive multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicles of long range and duration of flight, capable of not only conducting aerial reconnaissance, but also hitting enemy targets with high-precision ammunition in strategic depths, ”Dronov said.
In an interview with the deputy head of the Russian Aerospace Forces, he noted that Russian developers are also involved in the integration of UAVs with manned aircraft.
“When developing unmanned aerial vehicles, special attention is paid to their integration into a single airspace with manned aircraft. At the same time, it is envisaged not only to work out issues of interaction in the joint performance of combat missions, but also to perform tasks by unmanned aerial vehicles under the control of crews of manned aircraft, "he said.
Unmanned system
According to experts, speaking about the integration of UAVs with manned combat aircraft, Sergei Dronov most likely meant a bundle of the S-70 Okhotnik unmanned reconnaissance and strike complex and the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter.
At the moment, the "Okhotnik" is the largest Russian UAV - its take-off weight is 25 tons. According to media reports, the machine is made using stealth technologies and the principle of "flying wing". Detailed characteristics of the "Okhotnik" are not disclosed, but it is known that the S-70 can fly with a range of up to 5 thousand km, while developing a speed of at least 1000 km / h. At the same time, the UAV is capable of taking on board up to 3 tons of weapons.
It is assumed that serial deliveries of "Okhotnik" will begin in 2024.
In turn, the Su-57 is the newest multifunctional Russian fighter. In 2019, the serial production of the aircraft began, and a contract was signed with the Russian Ministry of Defense for the supply of 76 aircraft.
Just like the "Okhotnik", the Su-57 is made using the "stealth" technology. It is designed to destroy "all types of air targets in long-range and close combat, defeat ground, surface targets of the enemy with overcoming air defense systems," the Sukhoi company website says.
For the first time, the joint flight of the Su-57 and S-70 was made in September 2019. As the Ministry of Defense explained then, during the test flight, the interaction between the drone and the Su-57 was worked out "to expand the fighter's radar field and target designation for the use of aviation weapons."
In addition to the "Okhotnik", the development of another heavy drone - "Altius-U", is at the final stage in Russia. Its mass is about 6 tons. It is assumed that, in addition to performing reconnaissance tasks, it will be able to strike at the enemy. The Altius-U made its first flight in August 2019.
In addition, supplies of the Orion unmanned complex developed by the Kronstadt Group have begun to the Russian troops. The act of acceptance of the first three vehicles was signed on April 20, 2020. The mass of this vehicle is 1 ton. It is intended for aerial reconnaissance, patrolling and topographic survey of the area. The UAV can stay in the air for at least 24 hours, the maximum flight altitude is 7.5 thousand meters. Earlier it was also reported that during the tests of the machine, the use of shock systems on it was practiced.
- Unmanned aerial vehicle "Orion"
In addition, the Russian Armed Forces have been actively using the Orlan-10 and Forpost drones for aerial reconnaissance.
"The era of drones begins"
According to experts, unmanned aircraft is one of the fastest growing branches of the military industry, and its importance on the battlefield will increase every year.
“Now the era of drones is beginning. The robotization of military affairs is the general direction of development. More and more often combat missions will be shifted to equipment. It is likely that in a few decades unmanned aerial vehicles will fight in the air, and the people who control them will be far in the rear, or on one of the planes that will control this equipment from the air, "military observer colonel told RT in an interview retired Victor Baranets.
As the analyst explained, the main advantage of the UAV is the ability to operate it without risking the life of the military.
“UAVs allow not to use people. At the same time, with their help, you can economically and quickly get the exact coordinates of the target on which you need to strike. Drones for any army are powerful electronic eyes that allow you to see the battlefield. Another feature of UAVs is that they can not only reconnoitre the terrain, launch missile or bomb strikes on enemy positions, but also carry out electronic warfare missions, ”Baranets said.
In the context of the development of the drone industry, the use of UAVs by Turkey during the aggravation of the situation in Syrian Idlib in early 2020 became a landmark, according to analysts. As military expert Dmitry Litovkin noted, Ankara's actions can be called the first large-scale use of attack drones in history.
- Turkish UAV Bayraktar TB2. This model was used by Ankara in Syria
- © Bayhaluk / Wikipedia
"The tactics of the Turkish Air Force are worthy of study, because this is the first massive use of UAVs to solve problems of destroying ground targets," he said in an interview with RT.
At the same time, the analyst noted that such an approach is effective only in confrontation with militant groups and weakly armed armies.
“You have to understand that if the Turks were at war with the Americans or with us, there would not have been such a success, because we have air defense systems that can destroy UAVs with high efficiency,” the expert explained.
According to Litovkin, the Russian leadership pays special attention to the development of robotic combat systems, and not only in the field of aviation.
“The Ministry of Defense has a huge program to create various drones and unmanned control systems. This is all one complex task that brings our armed forces to a new generation, ”the expert says.
Viktor Baranets adheres to a similar point of view. He recalled that after the collapse of the USSR, Russia was forced to freeze many developments in the field of unmanned aircraft, but in recent years it has been actively making up for lost time.
“Today the Russian Federation is regaining its positions, it is not only stepping on the heels of the leaders in the construction of unmanned combat systems, but also in some places has taken the lead. For example, "Hunter" surpasses American and Israeli counterparts in a number of characteristics. Today Russia has gained a good pace, so Okhotnik is not the last model, there are many interesting things ahead of us, ”the expert concluded.