Altius UAV program

Isos wrote:And you reload them in the air maybe ?

War in Syria is not an arcade videogame, probably you will spend hours and hours of flight to detect some movement and many times it will be nothing. These guys are not willing to be killed and are very aware they are under surveillance, so they will be extremely cautious.

Now there isn't that many targets out there.

Of course, that is what we say. The war had a hot phase where the VKS could really be used effectively but now is largely frozen and you need much more presence of lower capacity assets. You need means that allow for low budget constant monitoring and to produce constant attrition on the terrorists until they are defeated.

miketheterrible wrote:Relying on them is stupid. Using them isn't though and they make for easy recon and a quick strike when needed. But in the end, it isn't smart to rely on them.

It is not about decommissioning the Su-34 because you have the Orion, but using 45 t supersonic tactical bombers with 8 t payload to hunt for the odd bearded goatfucker in the desert is absurd. Those are designed to beat the shit out of NATO proper, not for COIN.

GarryB wrote:The fact of the matter is that these drones don't replace anything... because of the altitude they operate you could load them up with guided 20kg bombs that home in on laser target marking beams... the drone itself can mark its own targets... the point is that instead of dropping 250kg or 500kg bombs a drone is eyes in the sky all the tiime so it will likely see rather more targets and often being able to hit those targets fast is critical, but sometimes it isn't.

A 5kg or 10kg or 20kg bomb could be carried for use if needed urgently but if not urgent then other platforms could be called in to engage.

For instance a drone detects a huge group of ISIS approaching a Russian or Syrian base... well keep watching them with the drone, warn the base and launch attack helicopters and Su-25s with lots of rocket pods, and get the local artillery ready to hammer them and watch the results with the drone that spotted it in the first place.

Conversely the drone might spot an enemy mortar or rocket launcher being set up... drop a small bomb on them and kill the crew and set off the ammo truck and send troops to recover the weapon so they can't use it again.

Exactly, they are a new tool, much better adapted to the task at hand. Russia can keep operating them forever without wasting the resource of valuable tactical bombers, for ridiculously low money and covering the theater permanently.

As to the weapons, they could use also those new laser guided rockets. Highly scattered light infantry needs precision rather than big warheads.

As to the weapons, they could use also those new laser guided rockets. Highly scattered light infantry needs precision rather than big warheads.

Large numbers of enemy infantry spread out on open country is a grad target... precision weapons are for individual targets but a large force of hundreds of enemy troops would mean hundreds for more expensive guided small weapons.

Grad. And of course landmines...

And rocket attack from helicopters and Su-25s to coat the area lightly in shrapnel...

Then the drone can watch the escape paths and you can shell those with artillery and cannon fire...

In Syria russia jets carried 2 or 4 bombs most of the time. A drone like Orion is more cost effective. They can locate targets for artillery and guide shells and keep their own ammunition until a important target pops up.

But they are already using drones and satellites and people on the ground... the jets like Su-24s and Su-34s and Su-30s will attack a target that has been carefully selected and identified... like an HQ or ammo dump or whatever.

Other drones will operate within range of gun artillery and will look for enemy forces like enemy positions or light trucks with weapons on the back.

Obviously such attacks are limited by the range of the artillery which is about 20-25km for the 152mm rounds at the moment.

Having drones with 5kg and 10kg and 20kg and even 50kg bombs means they might only be able to hit 4-5 targets, but they can be much deeper in enemy territory and thus higher up the food chain and possibly also less aware of the danger they are in.

A few Koalition vehicles with 70km range guided rounds will be interesting, but those 180km range rounds even more so... as it will mean the drones don't need to carry as much dead weight but still get the job done of finding targets and having them destroyed quickly.

These new drones means more comprehensive and longer duration observation of the enemy and more likely to get the sneaky ones that have evaded their bombs so far because of the delay in calling up a bomber.

MOSCOW, 8 March - RIA Novosti. A prototype of the Russian reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) "Altius" will begin this summer a series of test flights using the entire spectrum of guided weapons, including high-precision missiles, a source in the military-industrial complex told RIA Novosti.

https://ria.ru/20210308/altius-1600319769.html?utm_source=yxnews&utm_medium=desktop&nw=1615277880000

franco wrote:Reconnaissance and strike drone "Altius-U" received satellite communications

The Russian drone "Altius" became the first Russian drone equipped with a satellite communications terminal. This was announced by the chief designer of the Altius project, Ilya Matveev.

Answering the questions of the journalist on the air of the Russia-24 TV channel, Matveev explained that the Altius UAV was the first of the Russian drones to receive a satellite communication terminal developed in Russia, the receiver is placed under the head fairing of the drone.

This onboard satellite communications terminal was developed in Russia, including for use as part of our aircraft. Our drone is the first to be equipped with this kind of radio communication capabilities. - he said.

Earlier it was reported that thanks to the installed equipment, the drone can be controlled via satellite, which makes the range of its use almost unlimited.

Altius-U is a drone created as a result of the development and testing of a number of prototypes within the Altair project. The newest unmanned complex is capable of performing the entire range of reconnaissance missions, as well as using airborne weapons.

The Altius UAV has a wingspan of 28.5 m, a length of 11.6 m, and a take-off weight of 6 tons. The flight altitude is 12 thousand meters, the flight range is up to 10 thousand km. In this case, the UAV can stay in the air for up to 48 hours. The installed equipment allows reconnaissance at a great distance.

In February of this year, it became known that the Ministry of Defense had ordered a pilot batch of Altius reconnaissance and strike drones. Delivery times and the number of drones in the batch were not reported.

https://6b6gjclcha6ibjpa45wvvqdamu--topwar-ru.translate.goog/181336-razvedyvatelno-udarnyj-bespilotnik-altius-u-poluchil-sputnikovuju-svjaz.html

Endurance of 48hrs... impressive.

The_Observer wrote:

Endurance of 48hrs... impressive.

Mogging the Turkish drones on their first try. That's the Russians for you.

I know Hole probably posted it somewhere else. Ilyushin-38H swarm controlling multiple Altius UCAV's against submersible targets.

The Ministry of Defense announced the end of the tests of the heavy reconnaissance and strike drone "Altius-RU"
Today, 14: 41
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Tests of the heavy Russian long-range reconnaissance and strike drone "Altius-RU" have been completed. This was stated by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting of the board of the military department.

An expanded meeting of the board of the military department was held at the Ministry of Defense today, December 21, 2021, within the framework of which the results of this year were summed up. Speaking at the collegium, Shoigu, speaking about the supply of drones to the troops, said that the tests of the heavy reconnaissance and strike drone "Altius-RU" had been completed, but did not give any details, only stated the fact.

Altius-RU "(reconnaissance and strike) - this is the final look of the drone, created as a result of the development and testing of a number of prototypes within the Altair project. In mid-February this year it became known that the Ministry of Defense ordered a pilot batch of Altius drones.

The newest unmanned complex is capable of performing the entire range of reconnaissance missions, as well as using aviation means of destruction, including controlled ones. In February 2020, it was reported that a drone of high-precision gliding bombs 9-А-7759 "Thunder" was received by the drone. This summer, it was reported that a drone was being tested with a full range of controlled weapons.

The Altius UAV has a wingspan of 28,5 m, a length of 11,6 m, and a take-off weight of 6 tons. The flight altitude is 12 thousand meters, the flight range is up to 10 thousand km. At the same time, the UAV can stay in the air for up to 48 hours and carry a payload of more than one ton.

The installed equipment allows for reconnaissance at a great distance. The drone can also be controlled via satellite, which makes the range of its use almost unlimited.

https://en.topwar.ru/190430-v-minoborony-zajavili-ob-okonchanii-ispytanij-tjazhelogo-razvedyvatelno-udarnogo-bespilotnika-altius-ru.html

In yet another impotent and pathetic move the yanquis tried to sanction engines produced by the Red Aviation engine producer based
in Germany and founded by a Russian expat to be used in the Altius. But Klimov produced a replacement with superior characteristics
so fast that the yanquis couldn't even smell their own fart first.

Are they the same engines as used in the Yak-152 trainer?

Would love to see Klimov make those engines in Russia too...

Looks like the VK-800 engines are go and the Altius can start production (and perhaps the Yak-152 too).

Actually it mentions that the VK-800 engine is for the Altius drone and the single engined Baikal replacement for the AN-2 and also the Yak-152, so this is very interesting for Russian aviation moving forward now they are serial producing the engine.

The drone itself seems to be rather sophisticated with a satellite control link and significant sensors and equipment that allow it to receive data about the air situation around it and for its sensors to collect data that can contribute to the air picture in real time.

It can work with aircraft including the Su-57 and there is also a naval model....

By far the most important thing for an UAV of this class is sophistication of its recon payload. Whether it's a SAR radar or a camera system - it needs to be able to utilize the ample volume of the UAV to yield best possible recon performance.
Like classification (not detection) of vehicle sized targets from at least 100+ km away. Ideally from 120+ km away.
Allegedly, the optical sensor used on the U-2 can achieve 0.3 m resolution from 100 km away.