Director General of Kronstadt Group LLC (St. Petersburg) Sergey Bogatikov said in an interview with RT that the promising heavy UAV Sirius could make its first flight in 2022. According to him, the UAV will be unified with the line of other company drones. This will facilitate the production, operation and repair process.
“We are introducing our five-ton apparatus for the first time. This is a full-size layout with real geometric contours. Now the stage of technical design. We hope that we will lift this device (into the air) in 2.5-3 years, ”Bogatikov said at the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2019.
The top manager emphasized that Sirius has unique characteristics. The drone is able to overcome 10 thousand km and stay in the air for up to 40 hours at maximum load. UAV control is carried out using signals from satellites. Thus, the device is not tied to traditional means of communication, which impede the operation of drones in remote areas.
Outwardly, Sirius resembles the American MQ-1 Predator, but surpasses it in most characteristics. The wingspan of the Sirius is 30 m, the length is 13 m, the payload mass is 1 t, the maximum flight height - 12 km, cruising speed - 295 km / h. UAVs can take off and land on airfields with a strip length of 1.8 km. The model of the drone is presented at the static exposition of MAKS-2019.
Cheaper than satellites
Currently, Kronstadt is in talks with potential developers of the power plant for Sirius. The company is considering the possibility of equipping the apparatus with either a gas turbine or piston engine.
We are ready to develop a gas turbine unit at UEC-Klimov (St. Petersburg). The Central Institute of Aviation Motors (TsIAM, Moscow) may become a developer of a piston unit for Sirius.
Kronstadt expects to receive a piston engine modification designed for the Aurus family of executive cars. This unit was designed by domestic engineers in collaboration with Porsche Engineering.
Sergei Bogatikov said that the UAV will be able to perform a wide range of tasks. But he considers the drone's primary functionality to be tracking ice conditions for the passage of a caravan of ships along the Northern Sea Route. The volume of traffic on it after 2020 will exceed 40 million tons (in 2018 - almost 20 million tons).
“Several of these devices may close issues related to monitoring the spaces of the Far North, Siberia and the Far East. This is essentially an alternative to satellite systems. The use of these drones will increase the efficiency of data transfer. But most importantly, their operation will be much cheaper than satellites, ”says Bogatikov.
According to the head of the Kronstadt Group, specialists will equip Sirius with modern monitoring and surveillance systems that will allow them to "close strategic distances." A broadband communication line will provide the transfer of large amounts of data at a speed of 16 Mb / s, that is, almost in real time.
“On board the device is a very powerful power plant - about 40 kW, which allows you to use almost any payload - optical, electronic equipment, including that that is operated in manned aircraft,” Bogatikov explained.
For civil and military needs
Another innovation of the Kronstadt Group at MAKS-2019 was a flying laboratory based on the export version of the Orion UAV. In the near future, the company will submit an application for certification of a new device to the Ministry of Transport. It also applies to heavy vehicles.
The difference between the modernized Orion and its predecessor lies in the additional control loop necessary for the integration of UAVs in the information systems of Russia and foreign countries. The drone is equipped with special sensors and devices AZN-V (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcasting).
“On the basis of a flying laboratory, we create devices for various needs. In particular, a drone is being developed for monitoring forest areas. This is an extremely urgent task for our country. The device will determine the source of ignition by transmitting the corresponding coordinates and HD-quality image to the control point. The high-definition optics installed on the device will be able to fix the faces of arsonists, ”said Bogatikov.
Also, the modification of "Orion" will participate in extinguishing forest fires. The drone will be able to use special equipment that resembles a small-sized aircraft bomb. Inside it are finely divided mineral salts (the powder that is contained in portable fire extinguishers). One such "bomb", as claimed, will be able to extinguish a small hearth in separated areas or to localize a fire.
The carrying capacity of the updated Orion is 250 kg, the wingspan is 16 m, the length is 8 m, the cruising speed is 120 km / h, the maximum flight height is 7.5 km, and the flight duration is up to 24 hours. The device can carry goods over a distance of 500-600 km and can be operated at airfields with a strip length of over 900 m.
In August 2019, the first flight was carried out immediately by three domestic heavy-class drones: the Okhotnik reconnaissance and strike complex (20 tons), Altius-U UAV (5 tons) and the Outpost-R drone (about 500 kg). The customer of all three devices is the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
- Orion-E drone with a “powder bomb” at the MAKS-2019 static exposition
- © Alexey Zakvasin / RT
Experts interviewed by RT believe that a heavy-class UAV fleet will allow Russia to more effectively solve the tasks of monitoring vast spaces and inaccessible territories. Such aircraft can be used for both civilian and military needs.
“To monitor large areas, it is much more functional and cheaper to use unmanned aircraft rather than satellites. For example, UAVs work perfectly in a certain area and can be quickly transferred to the desired area. In addition, unlike the satellite, drones maintain constant contact with the ground (operator), ”Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Political-Political Analysis Bureau, explained in a conversation with RT.
The expert noted that at the moment Russia does not have heavy-class UAVs, with the exception of the Outpost, which has been manufactured under Israeli license since 2012. However, in the coming years, the situation will change dramatically. With the advent of the line of heavy drones, the Russian Federation will be able to use them to monitor, reconnaissance and deliver air strikes with small-sized ammunition.
“In my opinion, unmanned technologies are primarily of military importance. Now they can be used in Syria and experience new models. The operation of heavy UAVs can reduce the risk to the life of military personnel. And if we talk about the civilian sphere, then, applicable to our country, drones must be used to monitor the situation on the Northern Sea Route and in forests, ”Mikhailov said.
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The editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, Igor Korotchenko, said in an interview with RT that developments in the field of heavy unmanned aircraft have noticeably accelerated under the current leadership of the Ministry of Defense. According to him, heavy drones will not completely replace the satellite’s functionality, but their appearance will increase the ability of the Russian Federation to monitor ground conditions.
“Military UAVs are designed for reconnaissance and delivering remote strikes. Civilian devices are needed to obtain data from natural disaster areas. The modern army and civilian organizations cannot do without such drones, ”summed up Korotchenko.