Impact bla usa. Drone: review of Russian and foreign unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Modern drones are not the same anymore. It was once upon a time that they could modestly observe what was happening. Today, these vehicles carry bombs on board and are capable of attacking with them.

Scientific and technological progress has already reached the point where it has begun to create combat drones. We’ll talk about the eight newest ones now.

New British classified UAV Taranis.

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European ambitious project. It is planned that this UAV will be stealthy, with incredible striking power:

• weapons— capable of carrying 2 guided bombs weighing 230 kg each.

Its production is planned no earlier than 2030. Although, the prototype has already been built, and in 2012 it even took to the skies. Characteristics:

• take-off weight - 7000 kg;


• engine - Rolls-Royce Turbom Adour turbofan;


• maximum speed - 980 km/h.

Northrop Grumman X-47B

This is an attack UAV, the production of which was undertaken by Northrop Grumman. The development of the X-47B is part of the program navy USA. Goal: creating an unmanned aircraft capable of taking off from an aircraft carrier.

Northrop's first flight took place in 2011. The device is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney F100-220 turbofan engine. Weight - 20215 kg, flight range - 3890 km.

DRDO Rustom II

The developer is the Indian military-industrial corporation DRDO. Rustom II is an upgraded version of Rustom drones, designed for reconnaissance and combat strikes. These UAVs are capable of carrying up to 350 kg of payload.

Pre-flight tests have already been completed, so the first flight may well take place even this year. Take-off weight - 1800 kg, equipped with 2 turboprop engines. Maximum speed is 225 km/h, flight range is 1000 km.

"Dozor-600"

On this moment“Dozor” has the status of a still promising reconnaissance and strike UAV. Developed by the Russian company Transas. Designed to conduct tactical reconnaissance in the front line or along the route. Capable of transmitting information in real time.

Characteristics:

• take-off weight - 720 kg;


• engine - petrol Rotax 914;


• maximum speed - 150 km/h;


• flight range - 3700 km.

Taranis

A British project, led by BAE Systems. At the moment, this is just a test platform for creating a highly maneuverable, stealthy attack drone for transcontinental operation. Basic technical data is classified. All we managed to find out is:

• date of first flight - 2013;


• take-off weight - 8000 kg;


• engine - turbofan Rolls-Royce Adour;


• maximum speed is subsonic.

Boeing Phantom Ray

Another demonstration platform of a promising UAV for reconnaissance purposes. The Phantom Ray is designed as a flying wing and is similar in size to a conventional fighter jet.

The project was created on the basis of the X-45S UAV and boasts its first flight (in 2011). Take-off weight - 16566 kg, engine - General Electric F404-GE-102D turbojet. Maximum speed is 988 km/h, flight range is 2114 km.

ADCOM United 40

Another reconnaissance and strike UAV. Developed and produced by ADCOM (UAE). First shown at the Dubai Air Show (November 2011). The baby's take-off weight is 1500 kg, equipped with 2 Rotax 914UL piston engines. Maximum speed is 220 km/h.

"Scat"

Another incredibly heavy reconnaissance and attack vehicle (weight - 20 tons), developed at the Russian MiG Design Bureau using stealth technology. Only a full-size mock-up was shown to the general public; it was demonstrated at the MAKS-2007 air show.

The project was canceled, but the development remained. They are planned to be used in promising Russian attack UAVs. Weapons include tactical surface-to-surface missiles and aerial bombs. The maximum speed of the monster is 850 km/h, flight range is 4000 km.

A robot cannot cause harm to a person or, through inaction, allow a person to be harmed.
- A. Azimov, Three laws of robotics

Isaac Asimov was wrong. Very soon the electronic “eye” will take aim at the person, and the microcircuit will dispassionately order: “Fire to kill!”

The robot is stronger than the flesh and blood pilot. Ten, twenty, thirty hours of continuous flight - he demonstrates constant vigor and is ready to continue the mission. Even when the overloads reach the terrible 10 “zhe”, filling the body with leaden pain, the digital devil will maintain clarity of consciousness, continuing to calmly calculate the course and monitor the enemy.

The digital brain does not require training or regular training to maintain its proficiency. Mathematical models and algorithms for behavior in the air are forever loaded into the machine’s memory. After standing in the hangar for a decade, the robot will return to the sky at any moment, taking the helm in its strong and skillful “hands.”

Their hour has not yet struck. In the US military (the leader in this field of technology), drones make up a third of the fleet of all aircraft in service. Moreover, only 1% of UAVs are capable of using .

Alas, even this is more than enough to spread terror in those territories that are given over to hunting grounds for these ruthless steel birds.

5th place - General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (“Harvester”)

Reconnaissance and strike UAV with max. take-off weight of about 5 tons.

Flight duration: 24 hours.
Speed: up to 400 km/h.
Ceiling: 13,000 meters.
Engine: turboprop, 900 hp
Full fuel supply: 1300 kg.

Armament: up to four Hellfire missiles and two 500-pound JDAM guided bombs.

Onboard radio-electronic equipment: AN/APY-8 radar with mapping mode (under the nose cone), MTS-B electro-optical sighting station (in a spherical module) for operation in the visible and infrared ranges, with a built-in target designator for illuminating targets for ammunition with semi-active laser guidance.

Cost: $16.9 million

To date, 163 Reaper UAVs have been built.

The most high-profile case of combat use: in April 2010 in Afghanistan, the third person in the al-Qaeda leadership, Mustafa Abu Yazid, known as Sheikh al-Masri, was killed by an MQ-9 Reaper UAV strike.

4th place - Interstate TDR-1

Unmanned torpedo bomber.

Max. take-off weight: 2.7 tons.
Engines: 2 x 220 hp
Cruising speed: 225 km/h,
Flight range: 680 km,
Combat load: 2000 lbs. (907 kg).
Built: 162 units.

“I remember the excitement that gripped me when the screen rippled and became covered with numerous dots - it seemed to me that the remote control system had malfunctioned. A moment later I realized it was anti-aircraft guns shooting! Having adjusted the drone's flight, I sent it straight into the middle of the ship. At the last second, the deck flashed before my eyes - so close that I could see the details. Suddenly the screen turned into a gray static background... Apparently, the explosion killed everyone on board.”

“Project Option” envisaged the creation of unmanned torpedo bombers to destroy the Japanese fleet. In April 1942, the first test of the system took place - a “drone”, remotely controlled from an aircraft flying 50 km away, launched an attack on the destroyer Ward. The dropped torpedo passed directly under the keel of the destroyer.

TDR-1 taking off from the deck of an aircraft carrier

Encouraged by the success, the fleet leadership hoped to form 18 attack squadrons consisting of 1000 UAVs and 162 command “Avengers” by 1943. However, the Japanese fleet was soon overwhelmed by conventional aircraft and the program lost priority.

The main secret of the TDR-1 was a small-sized video camera designed by Vladimir Zvorykin. Weighing 44 kg, it had the ability to transmit images via radio at a frequency of 40 frames per second.

“Project Option” is amazing with its boldness and early appearance, but we have 3 more amazing cars ahead:

3rd place - RQ-4 “Global Hawk”

Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft with max. take-off weight 14.6 tons.

Flight duration: 32 hours.
Max. speed: 620 km/h.
Ceiling: 18,200 meters.
Engine: turbojet with a thrust of 3 tons,
Flight range: 22,000 km.
Cost: $131 million (excluding development costs).
Built: 42 units.

The drone is equipped with a set of HISAR reconnaissance equipment, similar to what is installed on modern U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. HISAR includes a synthetic aperture radar, optical and thermal cameras, and a satellite data link with a speed of 50 Mbit/s. It is possible to install additional equipment for conducting electronic reconnaissance.

Each UAV has a complex protective equipment, including laser and radar warning stations, as well as an ALE-50 towed decoy to deflect missiles fired at it.

Forest fires in California captured by Global Hawk

A worthy successor to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, soaring in the stratosphere with its huge wings spread. The RQ-4's records include long-distance flight (USA to Australia, 2001), longest flight of any UAV (33 hours in the air, 2008), and demonstration of drone refueling (2012). By 2013, the RQ-4's total flight time exceeded 100,000 hours.

The MQ-4 Triton drone was created on the basis of the Global Hawk. A naval reconnaissance aircraft with a new radar, capable of surveying 7 million square meters per day. kilometers of ocean.

The Global Hawk does not carry strike weapons, but it deservedly makes it onto the list of the most dangerous drones because it knows too much.

2nd place - X-47B “Pegasus”

Stealth reconnaissance and strike UAV with max. take-off weight 20 tons.

Cruising speed: Mach 0.9.
Ceiling: 12,000 meters.
Engine: from an F-16 fighter, thrust 8 tons.
Flight range: 3900 km.
Cost: $900 million for research and development work on the X-47 program.
Built: 2 concept demonstrators.
Armament: two internal bomb bays, combat load 2 tons.

A charismatic drone, built according to the “duck” design, but without the use of PGO, the role of which is played by the supporting fuselage itself, made using stealth technology and having a negative installation angle in relation to the air flow. To consolidate the effect, the lower part of the fuselage in the nose has a shape similar to the descent modules of spacecraft.

A year ago, the X-47B amused the public with its flights from the decks of aircraft carriers. This phase of the program is now nearing completion. In the future - the appearance of an even more formidable X-47C drone with a combat load of over four tons.

1st place - “Taranis”

The concept of a stealth attack UAV from the British company BAE Systems.

Little is known about the drone itself:
Subsonic speed.
Stealth technology.
Turbojet engine with a thrust of 4 tons.
The appearance is reminiscent of the Russian experimental UAV “Skat”.
Two internal weapons bays.

What is so terrible about this “Taranis”?

The goal of the program is to develop technologies to create an autonomous, stealth strike drone that will allow high-precision strikes against ground targets at long range and automatically evade enemy weapons.

Before this, debates about possible “jamming of communications” and “interception of control” caused only sarcasm. Now they have completely lost their meaning: “Taranis”, in principle, is not ready to communicate. He is deaf to all requests and pleas. The robot indifferently looks for someone whose appearance matches the description of the enemy.

Flight test cycle at the Australian Woomera test site, 2013.

“Taranis” is just the beginning of the journey. Based on it, it is planned to create an unmanned attack bomber with an intercontinental flight range. In addition, the emergence of fully autonomous drones will open the way to the creation of unmanned fighters (since existing remotely controlled UAVs are not capable of air combat due to delays in their telecontrol system).

British scientists are preparing a worthy ending for all of humanity.

Epilogue

The war has no woman's face. Rather, not human.

Unmanned technology is a flight into the future. It brings us closer to the eternal human dream: to finally stop risking the lives of soldiers and give feats of arms at the mercy of soulless machines.

Following Moore's rule of thumb (computer performance doubling every 24 months), the future could arrive unexpectedly soon...

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is one of the most promising areas for the development of modern military aviation. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have already brought about significant changes in combat tactics, and their importance is expected to increase even more in the near future. The advancement of unmanned aerial vehicles is perhaps the most important development in aviation in decades.

Today, UAVs are used not only by the military, they are also actively used in civilian life. They are used for aerial photography, patrolling, geodetic surveys, monitoring objects, and even for home delivery of purchases. However, it is the military that sets the tone for the development of new unmanned aerial systems.

Military UAVs perform many missions. First of all, this is reconnaissance - most modern drones are created precisely for this purpose. However, in recent years, more and more attack unmanned vehicles have appeared. IN separate group kamikaze drones can be distinguished. UAVs can conduct electronic warfare against the enemy, serve as a radio signal repeater, and provide target designation for artillery. Drones are also used as aerial targets.

The first projects of aircraft without a person on board were created immediately after the appearance of airplanes, but this idea was put into practice only in the late 70s of the last century. But after this, a real “unmanned boom” began.

Nowadays, UAVs are being developed with a long flight duration, as well as those capable of solving a variety of tasks in the most harsh conditions. UAVs are being tested designed to destroy ballistic missiles, unmanned fighters, microdrones, capable of operating in large groups (swarms).

Work on UAVs is underway in dozens of countries around the world, thousands of private companies are working on this task, and the most “delicious” of their developments are falling into the hands of the military.

Some of today's UAVs already have a high degree of autonomy, and it is likely that in the near future drones will have the ability to select a target and decide to destroy it autonomously. In this regard, a difficult ethical problem arises: how humane is it to trust the fate of living people to an indifferent and ruthless combat robot.

Advantages and disadvantages of UAVs

What advantages do unmanned aerial vehicles have over manned airplanes and helicopters? There are many of them:

• Significant reduction in overall dimensions compared to traditional aircraft, which reduces cost and increases the survivability of drones
• The possibility of creating inexpensive specialized UAVs capable of performing specific tasks on the battlefield
• Unmanned vehicles are capable of conducting reconnaissance and transmitting information in real time
• UAVs have no restrictions for use in difficult combat conditions associated with a high risk of destruction of the device. To solve particularly important problems, it is quite possible to sacrifice several drones
• High combat readiness and mobility
• The ability to create small, simple and mobile unmanned systems for non-aviation formations.

In addition to undoubted advantages, modern UAVs also have a number of disadvantages:

• Lack of flexibility compared to traditional aviation
• Many issues of communication, landing, and rescue of the device have not yet been fully resolved
• The reliability level of drones is still inferior to traditional aircraft
• Drone flights in Peaceful time limited in many areas for various reasons.

History of the development of military UAVs

Projects for aircraft that would be controlled remotely or automatically appeared at the dawn of the last century, but the existing level of technology did not allow them to be brought to life.

The Fairy Queen remote-controlled aircraft, built in England in 1933, is considered the first UAV. It was used as a target aircraft for training fighters and anti-aircraft gunners.

The first unmanned aerial vehicle that was mass-produced and took part in combat operations was the German V-1 cruise missile. The Germans called this UAV a “miracle weapon”; in total, about 25 thousand units were manufactured; the V-1 was actively used for shelling England.

The V-1 rocket had a pulse jet engine and an autopilot into which route data was entered. During the war, the V-1 killed more than 6 thousand British.

Since the mid-20th century, unmanned reconnaissance systems have been developed in both the USSR and the USA. Soviet designers created a number of unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, and the Americans actively used UAVs in Vietnam. Drones carried out aerial photography, provided electronic reconnaissance, and were used as repeaters.

Israel has made a huge contribution to the development of unmanned aerial vehicles. In 1978, the Israelis demonstrated their first combat drone, the IAI Scout, at an air show in Paris.

During the 1982 Lebanon War, the Israeli army, using drones, completely destroyed the Syrian air defense system, which was created by Soviet specialists. As a result of those battles, the Syrians lost 18 air defense batteries and 86 aircraft. These events forced the military of many countries around the world to take a new look at unmanned aerial vehicles.

Drones were actively used by the Americans during Operation Desert Storm. Reconnaissance UAVs were also used during several military campaigns in the former Yugoslavia. Since about the 90s, leadership in the development of unmanned combat systems has passed to the United States, and in 2012, the US Armed Forces already had almost 7.5 thousand UAVs of various modifications. For the most part, these were small reconnaissance drones for ground units.

The first attack drone was the American MQ-1 Predator UAV. In 2002, he launched a missile attack on a car carrying an al-Qaeda leader. Since then, the use of drones to destroy enemy targets or manpower has become commonplace in combat operations.

The Americans, using drones, organized a real “safari” to the top of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and other countries of the Middle East. Often they achieved their goals, but there were also tragic mistakes when, instead of militants, a wedding procession or funeral procession. In recent years in the West, some public organizations call for an end to the use of drones for military purposes, as they lead to civilian casualties.

Russia is still noticeably lagging behind in the field of creating unmanned combat systems, and this fact has been repeatedly recognized by employees of the Russian Defense Ministry. This became especially obvious after the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict in 2008.

In 2010, the Russian military department signed a contract with the Israeli company IAI, providing for the creation in the Russian Federation of a plant for the licensed assembly of Israeli Searcher drones (we call them “Forpost”). This UAV can hardly be called modern; it was created back in 1992.

There are several other projects that are in varying stages of implementation. However, in general, the Russian military-industrial complex is not yet able to offer the armed forces unmanned systems comparable in characteristics to modern foreign UAVs.

What are drones?

Nowadays, there are many unmanned aerial vehicles, varying in size, appearance, flight range and functionality. In addition, UAVs can be divided according to the control method and the degree of their autonomy. They are:

• uncontrollable;
• remote controlled;
• automatic.

Based on their size, which determines most other characteristics, drones are conventionally divided into classes:

• micro (up to 10 kg);
• mini (up to 50 kg);
• midi (up to 1 ton);
• heavy (weighing more than a ton).

The devices that are included in the mini group are capable of staying in the air for no more than one hour, midi - from three to five hours, and medium - up to fifteen hours. If we talk about heavy UAVs, the most advanced of them can stay in the sky for more than a day and make intercontinental flights.

Foreign unmanned aerial vehicles

One of the main trends in the development of modern UAVs is their further reduction. A striking example of this is the PD-100 Black Hornet drone, developed by the Norwegian company Prox Dynamics.

This helicopter-type drone is 100mm long and weighs 120g. Its flight range does not exceed 1 km, and its duration is 25 minutes. Each PD-100 Black Hornet is equipped with three video cameras.

Serial production of these drones began in 2012; the British military department purchased 160 sets of PD-100 Black Hornet for $31 million. Drones of this type were used in Afghanistan.

They are also working on creating microdrones in the USA. The Americans have a special Soldier Borne Sensors program aimed at developing and implementing reconnaissance UAVs that could provide information to each platoon or company. News has emerged about the desire of the US Army leadership to equip each soldier with an individual drone in the near future.

Today the most popular drone in American army is the RQ-11 Raven, which weighs 1.7 kg, has a wingspan of 1.5 m and can rise to an altitude of up to 5 km. The electric motor provides it with a speed of up to 95 km/h; the RQ-11 Raven can stay in the air from 45 minutes to one hour.

The drone is equipped with a digital video camera for day or night vision, the device is launched from the hand, and does not require a special landing site. The device can fly along a given route automatically, guided by GPS signals, or under control.

This drone is in service with more than ten countries around the world.

A heavier UAV in service with the US Army is the RQ-7 Shadow. It is designed for reconnaissance at the brigade level. Serial production of the complex began in 2004. The drone has a double fin and a pusher propeller. This UAV is equipped with a conventional or infrared video camera, radar, target illumination equipment, a laser rangefinder and a multispectral camera. A guided bomb weighing 5.4 kg can be hung on the device. There are several modifications of this drone.

Another American medium-sized UAV is the RQ-5 Hunter. The weight of the empty device is 540 kg. This is a joint American-Israeli development. The UAV is equipped with a television camera, a third-generation thermal imager, a laser rangefinder and other equipment. The drone is launched from a special platform using a rocket accelerator, its range of action is 267 km, and it can stay in the air for up to 12 hours. Several modifications of the Hunter have been created, some of which can be equipped with small bombs.

The most famous American UAV is the MQ-1 Predator. This drone began its career as a reconnaissance drone, but was then “retrained” as an attack vehicle. There are several modifications of this UAV.

The MQ-1 Predator is designed for reconnaissance and precision ground strikes. The maximum take-off weight of the MQ-1 Predator exceeds a ton. The device is equipped with a radar station, several video cameras (including an IR system) and other equipment. There are several modifications of this drone.

In 2001, a high-precision laser-guided Hellfire-C missile was created for this drone, and the following year it was used in Afghanistan.

The standard complex consists of four drones, a control station and a satellite communications terminal.

In 2011, one MQ-1 Predator UAV cost $4.03 million. The most advanced modification of this drone is the MQ-1C Gray Eagle. This device has a larger wingspan and a more advanced engine.

A further development of American attack UAVs was the MQ-9 Reaper, which began operation in 2007. This UAV had a longer flight duration compared to the MQ-1 Predator, could carry guided bombs, and had more advanced electronic equipment. These drones performed well in Iraq and Afghanistan. The main advantages of the drone over the F-16 multi-role aircraft are the lower cost of purchase and operation, longer flight duration, and the ability to not put the lives of pilots at risk.

Several modifications of the MQ-9 Reaper have been created.

In 1998, the American strategic unmanned reconnaissance aircraft RQ-4 Global Hawk, which is the largest UAV to date, made its first flight. This aircraft has a take-off weight of 14.5 tons, carries a payload of 1.3 tons and can remain in the air for 36 hours, covering up to 22 thousand km during this time.

According to the American military, this drone should replace the U-2S reconnaissance aircraft.

Russian UAVs

In the field of creating drones, Russia lags behind the current leaders - the United States and Israel. What does the Russian army have today, and what devices may appear in the coming years?

"Bee-1T". This is a Soviet and Russian drone, the first flight of which took place back in 1990. It is designed to adjust the fire of the Smerch and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems. UAV weight – 138 kg, range – 60 km. The device launches from a special installation using rocket boosters, and lands using a parachute.

This UAV was used in Chechnya to correct artillery fire (10 sorties), while Chechen militants managed to shoot down two vehicles. The drone is obsolete and does not meet the requirements of the time.

"Dozor-85". This reconnaissance drone was tested in 2007, and a year later the first batch of 12 vehicles was ordered. The UAV is designed specifically for the border service. It has a mass of 85 kg and can stay in the air for 8 hours.

The Russian army is armed with the Forpost UAV. This is a licensed copy of the Israeli Searcher 2. These devices were developed in the mid-90s, so they can hardly be called modern. "Forpost" has a take-off weight of about 400 kg, a flight range of 250 km, and is equipped with a satellite navigation system and television cameras.

Reconnaissance and attack UAV "Scat". This is a promising vehicle, work on which is being carried out at Sukhoi JSCB and RSK MiG. The current situation with this complex is not entirely clear: there was information that funding for the work has been suspended.

The Skat has a tailless fuselage shape, is manufactured using stealth technologies, its take-off weight is about 20 tons. The combat load is 6 tons, four suspension points.

"Dozor-600". This multi-purpose device, developed by the Transas company, was shown to the general public at the MAKS-2009 exhibition. The UAV is considered to be an analogue of the American MQ-1B Predator, although its exact characteristics are unknown. They plan to equip the Dozor with forward- and side-view radars, a video camera and thermal imager, and a target designation system. This UAV is designed for reconnaissance and surveillance in the front-line zone. There is no information about the drone's strike capabilities. In 2013, Shoigu demanded that work on Dozor-600 be accelerated.

"Orlan-3M" and "Orlan-10". These UAVs are designed for reconnaissance, search operations, and target designation. The devices are very similar in appearance; their take-off weight and flight range differ slightly. The launch is carried out by a catapult, and the device lands by parachute.

What's next for UAVs?

There are several most promising areas for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.

One of them is the creation of combined vehicles (Optionally Piloted Vehicles), which can be used in both manned and unmanned versions.

Another trend is to reduce the size of attack UAVs and create smaller types of guided weapons for them. Such devices are cheaper both to manufacture and to operate. Separate mention should be made of kamikaze drones, capable of patrolling over the battlefield and, after detecting a target, upon the operator’s command, diving onto it. Similar systems are being developed for non-lethal weapons, which are supposed to disable enemy electronics with a powerful electromagnetic pulse.

An interesting idea is to create large group(swarm) of combat drones that would jointly carry out a mission. The drones included in such a group must be able to exchange information and distribute tasks among themselves. Functions can be completely different: from collecting information to attacking an object or suppressing enemy radars.

The prospect of the emergence of fully autonomous unmanned vehicles that will independently find targets, identify them and make a decision to destroy them looks quite frightening. Similar developments are underway in several countries and are in their final stages. In addition, research is underway into the possibility of refueling UAVs in the air.

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Conducting work on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is considered one of the most promising courses in the development of current combat aviation. The use of drones or drones has already led to important changes in the tactics and strategy of military conflicts. Moreover, it is believed that in the very near future their importance will increase significantly. Some military experts believe that the positive development of drones is the most important achievement aircraft industry of the last decade.

However, drones are used not only for military purposes. Today they are actively involved in the “national economy”. With their help, aerial photography, patrolling, geodetic surveys, monitoring of a wide variety of objects are carried out, and some even deliver purchases home. However, the most promising new drone developments today are for military purposes.

Many problems are solved with the help of UAVs. Mainly, this is intelligence activity. Most of modern drones were created specifically for this purpose. In recent years, more and more attack unmanned vehicles have appeared. Kamikaze drones can be identified as a separate category. UAVs can conduct electronic warfare, they can be radio signal repeaters, artillery spotters, and aerial targets.

For the first time, attempts to create aircraft that were not controlled by humans were made immediately with the advent of the first airplanes. However, their practical implementation occurred only in the 70s of the last century. After which a real “drone boom” began. Remotely controlled aircraft have not been realized for quite some time, but today they are produced in abundance.

As often happens, the leading position in the creation of drones is occupied by American companies. And this is not surprising, because funding from the American budget for the creation of drones was simply astronomical by our standards. So, during the 90s, three billion dollars were spent on similar projects, while in 2003 alone they spent more than one billion.

Nowadays, work is underway to create the latest drones with longer flight duration. The devices themselves must be heavier and solve problems in difficult environments. Drones are being developed designed to combat ballistic missiles, unmanned fighters, and microdrones capable of operating in large groups (swarms).

Work on the development of drones is underway in many countries around the world. More than one thousand companies are involved in this industry, but the most promising developments go straight to the military.

Drones: advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of unmanned aerial vehicles are:

• A significant reduction in size compared to conventional aircraft, leading to a reduction in cost and an increase in their survivability;
• The potential to create small UAVs that could perform a wide variety of tasks in combat areas;
• The ability to conduct reconnaissance and transmit information in real time;
• There are no restrictions on use in extremely difficult combat situations associated with the risk of their loss. During critical operations, multiple drones can easily be sacrificed;
• Reduction (by more than one order of magnitude) of flight operations in peacetime, which would be required by traditional aircraft, preparing the flight crew;
• Availability of high combat readiness and mobility;
• Potential for the creation of small, uncomplicated mobile drone systems for non-aviation forces.

The disadvantages of UAVs include:

• Insufficient flexibility of use compared to traditional aircraft;
• Difficulties in resolving issues with communication, landing, and rescue of vehicles;
• In terms of reliability, drones are still inferior to conventional aircraft;
• Limiting drone flights during peacetime.

A little history of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

The first remote-controlled aircraft was the Fairy Queen, built in 1933 in Great Britain. It was a target aircraft for fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft guns.

And the first production drone to participate in a real war was the V-1 rocket. This German “miracle weapon” bombarded Great Britain. In total, up to 25,000 units of such equipment were produced. The V-1 had a pulse jet engine and an autopilot with route data.

After the war, they worked on unmanned reconnaissance systems in the USSR and the USA. Soviet drones were spy planes. With their help, aerial photography, electronic reconnaissance, and relay were carried out.

Israel has done a lot to develop drones. Since 1978 they have had their first drone, the IAI Scout. During the 1982 Lebanon War, the Israeli army, using drones, completely destroyed the Syrian air defense system. As a result, Syria lost almost 20 air defense batteries and almost 90 aircraft. This affected the attitude military science to the UAV.

The Americans used UAVs in Desert Storm and the Yugoslav campaign. In the 90s, they became leaders in the development of drones. So, since 2012, they had almost 8 thousand UAVs of a wide variety of modifications. These were mainly small army reconnaissance drones, but there were also attack UAVs.

The first of them, in 2002, eliminated one of the heads of al-Qaeda with a missile strike on a car. Since then, the use of UAVs to eliminate enemy military forces or its units has become commonplace.

Types of drones

Currently, there are a lot of drones that differ in size, appearance, flight range, and functionality. UAVs differ in their control methods and their autonomy.

They can be:

• Uncontrollable;
• Remote controlled;
• Automatic.

According to their sizes, drones are:

• Microdrones (up to 10 kg);
• Minidrones (up to 50 kg);
• Mididrons (up to 1 ton);
• Heavy drones (weighing more than a ton).

Microdrones can stay in the air for up to one hour, minidrones - from three to five hours, and middrones - up to fifteen hours. Heavy drones can stay in the air for more than twenty-four hours while making intercontinental flights.

Review of foreign unmanned aerial vehicles

The main trend in the development of modern drones is to reduce their size. One such example would be one of the Norwegian drones from Prox Dynamics. The helicopter drone has a length of 100 mm and a weight of 120 g, a range of up to one km, and a flight duration of up to 25 minutes. It has three video cameras.

These drones began to be produced commercially in 2012. Thus, the British military purchased 160 sets of PD-100 Black Hornet worth $31 million to conduct special operations in Afghanistan.

Microdrones are also being developed in the United States. They are working on special program Soldier Borne Sensors, aimed at developing and deploying reconnaissance drones with the potential to obtain information for platoons or companies. There is information about plans by the American army leadership to provide individual drones to all soldiers.

Today, the RQ-11 Raven is considered the heaviest drone in the US Army. It has a mass of 1.7 kg, a wingspan of 1.5 m and a flight of up to 5 km. With an electric motor, the drone reaches speeds of up to 95 km/h and stays in flight for up to one hour.

It has a digital video camera with night vision. The launch is done manually, and no special platform is needed for landing. The devices can fly along specified routes in automatic mode, GPS signals can serve as landmarks for them, or they can be controlled by operators. These drones are in service with more than a dozen countries.

The US Army's heavy UAV is the RQ-7 Shadow, which conducts reconnaissance at the brigade level. It went into serial production in 2004 and has a two-fin tail with a pusher propeller and several modifications. These drones are equipped with conventional or infrared video cameras, radars, target illumination, laser rangefinders, and multispectral cameras. Guided five-kilogram bombs are suspended from the devices.

The RQ-5 Hunter is a mid-size half-ton drone developed jointly by the US and Israel. Its arsenal includes a television camera, a third-generation thermal imager, a laser rangefinder and other equipment. It is launched from a special platform using a rocket accelerator. Its flight zone is within a range of up to 270 km, within 12 hours. Some modifications of Hunters have pendants for small bombs.

The MQ-1 Predator is the most famous American UAV. This is a “reincarnation” of a reconnaissance drone into an attack drone, which has several modifications. The Predator conducts reconnaissance and carries out precision ground strikes. It has a maximum take-off weight of more than a ton, a radar station, several video cameras (including an IR system), other equipment and several modifications.

In 2001, a high-precision laser-guided Hellfire-C missile was created for it, which was used in Afghanistan the following year. The complex has four drones, a control station and a satellite communications terminal, and it costs more than four million dollars. The most advanced modification is the MQ-1C Gray Eagle with a larger wingspan and a more advanced engine.

The MQ-9 Reaper is the next American attack UAV, which has several modifications and has been known since 2007. It has a longer flight duration, controlled aerial bombs, and more advanced radio electronics. The MQ-9 Reaper performed admirably in the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. Its advantage over the F-16 is its lower purchase and operating price, longer flight duration without risk to the life of the pilot.

1998 - the first flight of the American strategic unmanned reconnaissance aircraft RQ-4 Global Hawk. Currently, this is the largest UAV with a take-off weight of more than 14 tons, with a payload of 1.3 tons. It can stay in the airspace for 36 hours, while covering 22 thousand km. It is assumed that these drones will replace U-2S reconnaissance aircraft.

Review of Russian UAVs

What is at the disposal of the Russian army these days, and what are the prospects for Russian UAVs in the near future?

"Bee-1T"- Soviet drone, first flew in 1990. He was a fire spotter for multiple launch rocket systems. It had a mass of 138 kg and a range of up to 60 km. He took off from a special installation with a rocket booster and landed by parachute. Used in Chechnya, but outdated.

"Dozor-85"- reconnaissance drone for the border service with a mass of 85 kg, flight time up to 8 hours. The Skat reconnaissance and attack UAV was a promising vehicle, but work has been suspended for now.

UAV "Forpost" is a licensed copy of the Israeli Searcher 2. It was developed back in the 90s. "Forpost" has a take-off weight of up to 400 kg, a flight range of up to 250 km, satellite navigation and television cameras.

In 2007, a reconnaissance drone was adopted "Tipchak", with a launch weight of 50 kg and a flight duration of up to two hours. It has a regular and infrared camera. "Dozor-600" is a multi-purpose device developed by Transas, which was presented at the MAKS-2009 exhibition. It is considered an analogue of the American Predator.

UAVs "Orlan-3M" and "Orlan-10". They were developed for reconnaissance, search and rescue operations, and target designation. The drones are extremely similar in appearance. However, they differ slightly in their take-off weight and flight range. They take off using a catapult and land by parachute.

It is unlikely that robots will ever completely replace humans in those areas of activity that require rapid adoption of non-standard decisions both in peaceful life and in combat. Nevertheless, the development of drones in the last nine years has become a fashionable trend in the military aircraft industry. Many militarily leading countries are mass producing UAVs. Russia has not yet managed not only to take its traditional leadership position in the field of weapons design, but also to overcome the gap in this segment of defense technologies. However, work in this direction is underway.

Motivation for UAV development

The first results of using unmanned aircraft appeared back in the forties, however, the technology of that time was more consistent with the concept of an “aircraft-projectile”. The V-fau cruise missile could fly in one direction with own system course control, built on the inertial-gyroscopic principle.

In the 50s and 60s Soviet systems Air defense reached high level effectiveness, and began to pose a serious danger to the aircraft of a potential enemy in the event of a real confrontation. The wars in Vietnam and the Middle East caused real panic among US and Israeli pilots. Cases of refusals to carry out combat missions in areas covered by Soviet-made anti-aircraft systems have become frequent. Ultimately, the reluctance to put the lives of pilots at mortal risk prompted design companies to look for a way out.

Start of practical application

The first country to use unmanned aircraft was Israel. In 1982, during the conflict with Syria (Bekaa Valley), reconnaissance aircraft operating in robotic mode appeared in the sky. With their help, the Israelis managed to detect enemy air defense formations, which made it possible to launch a missile strike on them.

The first drones were intended exclusively for reconnaissance flights over “hot” territories. Currently, attack drones are also used, which have weapons and ammunition on board and directly carry out bomb and missile attacks on suspected enemy positions.

The United States has the largest number of them, where Predators and other types of combat aircraft are mass-produced.

The experience of using military aviation in the modern period, in particular the operation to pacify the South Ossetian conflict in 2008, has shown that Russia also needs UAVs. Conduct heavy reconnaissance in the face of enemy attacks air defense risky and leads to unjustified losses. As it turned out, there are certain shortcomings in this area.

Problems

The dominant modern idea today is the opinion that Russia needs attack UAVs in to a lesser extent than reconnaissance. You can strike the enemy with fire using a variety of means, including high-precision tactical missiles and artillery. Much more important is information about the deployment of his forces and correct target designation. As American experience has shown, the use of drones directly for shelling and bombing leads to numerous mistakes, the death of civilians and their own soldiers. This does not exclude a complete abandonment of strike models, but only reveals a promising direction along which new Russian UAVs will be developed in the near future. It would seem that the country that just recently occupied a leading position in the creation of unmanned aerial vehicles is doomed to success today. Back in the first half of the 60s, aircraft were created that flew in automatic mode: La-17R (1963), Tu-123 (1964) and others. The leadership remained in the 70s and 80s. However, in the nineties, the technological lag became obvious, and an attempt to eliminate it in last decade, accompanied by the expenditure of five billion rubles, did not produce the expected result.

Current situation

On currently The most promising UAVs in Russia are represented by the following main models:

In practice, the only serial UAVs in Russia are now represented by the Tipchak artillery reconnaissance complex, capable of performing a narrowly defined range of combat missions related to target designation. The agreement between Oboronprom and IAI for large-scale assembly of Israeli drones, signed in 2010, can be viewed as a temporary measure that does not ensure the development of Russian technologies, but only covers a gap in the range of domestic defense production.

Some promising models can be reviewed individually as part of publicly available information.

"Pacer"

Take-off weight is one ton, which is not so little for a drone. The design development is carried out by the Transas company, and flight tests of prototypes are currently underway. Layout layout, V-shaped tail, wide wing, takeoff and landing method (aircraft), and General characteristics roughly correspond to the performance of the currently most common American Predator. The Russian UAV “Inokhodets” will be able to carry a variety of equipment allowing for reconnaissance at any time of the day, aerial photography and telecommunications support. It is assumed that it will be possible to produce strike, reconnaissance and civilian modifications.

"Watch"

The main model is reconnaissance; it is equipped with video and photo cameras, a thermal imager and other recording equipment. Attack UAVs can also be produced on the basis of a heavy airframe. Russia needs Dozor-600 more as a universal platform for testing technologies for the production of more powerful drones, but the launch of this particular drone into mass production cannot be ruled out either. The project is currently under development. The date of the first flight was 2009, at the same time the sample was presented at the MAKS international exhibition. Designed by Transas.

"Altair"

It can be assumed that at the moment the largest attack UAVs in Russia are Altair, developed by the Sokol Design Bureau. The project also has another name - “Altius-M”. The take-off weight of these drones is five tons, it will be built by the Kazan Gorbunov Aviation Plant, part of Joint-Stock Company"Tupolev". The cost of the contract concluded with the Ministry of Defense is approximately one billion rubles. It is also known that these new Russian UAVs have dimensions comparable to those of an interceptor aircraft:

• length - 11,600 mm;
• wingspan - 28,500 mm;
• tail span - 6,000 mm.

The power of two screw aviation diesel engines is 1000 hp. With. These Russian reconnaissance and strike UAVs will be able to stay in the air for up to two days, covering a distance of 10 thousand kilometers. Little is known about electronic equipment; one can only guess about its capabilities.

Other types

Other Russian UAVs are also in promising development, for example, the aforementioned “Okhotnik”, an unmanned heavy drone that is also capable of performing various functions, both information and reconnaissance and strike-assault. In addition, there is also diversity in the principle of the device. UAVs come in both airplane and helicopter types. A large number of rotors provides the ability to effectively maneuver and hover over an object of interest, producing high-quality photography. Information can be quickly transmitted over encrypted communication channels or accumulated in the built-in memory of the equipment. UAV control can be algorithmic-software, remote or combined, in which the return to the base is carried out automatically in case of loss of control.

Apparently, unmanned Russian vehicles will soon be neither qualitatively nor quantitatively inferior to foreign models.