UAVs in Russian Armed Forces: News #2

May 23, 02:10

In Russia, created a line of universal drones "Joker"
Director General of the Central Design Bureau Dmitry Kuzyakin said that now the drone can perform any task without interfering with the structure.

MOSCOW, May 23. /EXCLUSIVE TASS/. The Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions (CCBR) has developed a universal line of FPV drones ("first-person view") "Joker", which differ in the weight of the wearable payload and are capable of performing the entire range of combat missions in the zone of special military operation (SМO) . This was announced to TASS by the director general of the center Dmitry Kuzyakin.

“We analyzed foreign experience, the experience of the enemy, rethought it, added our own solutions, and based on sports drones made the Joker universal line, which today performs all the tasks that our fighters face. Drones in the line differ only in the weight of the payload carried, while This "station wagon" now does not need to be soldered, altered, changed suspensions on tie rods or hang additional equipment. It is ready to perform any task without interfering with the structure," he said.

According to Kuzyakin, the entire line of Joker FPV drones is equipped with a universal payload attachment platform. “I confess that we copied the idea from foreign-made combat drones, but deeply redesigned it and greatly simplified it. Secondly, we ensured the architectural integration of the payload control system with the flight controller circuit, which allowed the pilot to control external equipment, regardless of the fact that the drone Now it doesn't matter what role the combat crew plays today: the Joker can be anything, like its card namesake," he said.

The Director General of the Central Design Bureau recalled that, like ammunition, FPV drones have different specializations - reconnaissance, spotters, attack aircraft, bombers, miners, kamikazes and carriers of special equipment. “Previously, for each task, we had to make a separate drone and teach how to work with it. <…> Not only did our soldiers have to carry several drones on a mission, but there was also a need to convert drones from one role to another right at the front. on the effectiveness of the application and almost became the reason for the failure of the mission," Kuzyakin emphasized.

In addition, the specialists of the Central Design Bureau developed a standard for the supply of all end devices. "From a certain point, all settings, firmware and topology have been standardized. Now the fighters do not have to rack their brains on how to set up the drone for themselves. All of them are configured the same, regardless of type and specialization. And these settings correspond to the ground equipment of combat FPV crews," - summed up the director general of the organization.

The CCBR previously announced the development of the Tower antenna system, which allows pilots of combat FPV drones to operate from shelters or armored vehicles.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/17816283

That is excellent, that is what is needed to patrol border

Inokhodets-RU

The RU suggests a version that no longer uses non Russian components.

The Orion used foreign engines and bits and now that new Russian engines are getting to the point of serial production I suspect testing will increase to get ready to make the drones when the engines are ready.

Such drones would be horribly vulnerable to look over enemy territory, but for operating over friendly territory they are a great idea, especially at medium altitude where MANPADS wont be a threat, but that also means very high quality cameras and sensors are needed to spot things on the ground because the altitude means they are looking at significant distances.

June 2, 01:31

Drones "Privet-82" are being prepared for the first combat use in the SMO zone

The devices were successfully tested on the territory of the LPR and DPR

MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. Kamikaze drones of the Privet-82 aircraft type have successfully passed tests in the zone of a special military operation, and are currently being equipped with a warhead and are being prepared for use in various units. This was reported to TASS in the design bureau (KB) "Oko".

"Privet-82" passed flight tests on the territory of the Lugansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic in the zone of a special military operation. During the tests, the flight range, radio channel, as well as the resistance of the drone to the effects of local electronic warfare systems were checked. The device was demonstrated to representatives of the OBTF battalions (operational combat tactical formations - TASS note) "Cascade", "Vostok", the National Guard, as well as PMC "Wagner". Work is underway to equip the drones with a warhead, they are being prepared for the first combat use, which will take place in the coming days," the organization noted.

Oko clarified that at the moment there are 12 Privet-82 devices in the zone of the special military operation. "We are in constant contact with the departments that received our devices," the design bureau stressed. The drone has a range of up to 30 km, a speed of up to 140 km/h, and a payload of up to 5.5 kg.

"Privet-82" in a new modification

Specialists of KB "Oko" also tested the drone "Privet-82" in the reconnaissance version. "In the zone of a special military operation, we showed and tested a version of our device in reconnaissance modification. We received good reviews and recommendations for improvement. It is necessary to slightly modify the camera that is installed on the reconnaissance drone, after which the device will go into production," the organization said.

The interlocutor of TASS said that the reconnaissance version of the drone will have a longer flight duration - up to 1.5 hours.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/17909583

As we see from the quality of videos of the battlefield and good quality camera makes all the difference in the world... a high quality image that is not badly effected by vibration and is gyrostabilised makes observation much much easier.

Obviously super high quality cameras are hard to justify when used on suicide drones, but even suicide drones need a decent view of the target as it flies in to attack.

I am honestly surprised there are not more suicide drones using pulse detonation jet engines... as used during WWII by the Germans on the buzz bomb... a very simple cheap sort of propulsion for which an elastic band or perhaps compressed air gun to get the platform moving would enable quite high flight speed at very low costs.

There was a drone the Soviets used called Dan I think that came in two versions... one being a target drone for air defence forces that used a pulse detonation engine because it was so cheap, and another version with a more conventional light engine for the less disposable recon version of the drone. The latter was not expensive but you didn't crash it every flight so it was more cost effective if you could use it a couple of times.

Real game changer is good thermals that can easily spot tanks and IFV.

Spotting them with such drones and sending lancet get ride of them is the key.

Normal camera, even in 4K, aren't good for finding targets in forest or hiden or from far away. Against soliders it's even worse.

First proper image I have seen of the Privet-82 drone and quite frankly I was initially a bit disappointed... its cheap looking flat sided construction looks basic and cheap and then I realised.... for a suicide drone that is exactly what you want.... cheap and simple and able to be made in enormous numbers...



For recon drones then good cameras including IIR cameras are critical, but for suicide drones you just need to fly to the coordinates and then fly into the target sitting there... you don't look for and find new targets with a suicide drone, you just launch the suicide drone when you have found a suitable target for it to attack and then launch your attack.

Probably this was already posted somewhere

https://aviation21.ru/udarnyj-bpla-sirius-proxodit-lyotnye-ispytaniya/

Impact UAV "Sirius" is undergoing flight tests
06/02/2023, 15:36 1 491

June 1 onlinevideo appearedone of the test flights, presumably the first flight prototype of the twin-engine unmanned aerial vehicle "Sirius" ("Inohodets-RU") developed by the Kronstadt company.

The Sirius multi-purpose reconnaissance and strike UAV of long flight duration is designed for air patrolling, fire-fighting and environmental monitoring, topographic surveying of the terrain and relaying radio signals. The tasks of Sirius include monitoring the Arctic zone, air patrolling of extended objects and large territories, and emergency delivery of goods over long distances.

The Sirius UAV is a development of the Orion (Pacer) range of attack unmanned aerial vehicles, which have been used on the Ukrainian front since the very beginning of the special military operation. So on March 16, 2022, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation showedfootage of destructionfortifications and armored vehicles of the armed Ukrainian formations. And on February 28, 2023, attacks on the command and observation post of the VFU battalion were demonstrated by the calculation of the Pacer UAV. The object was hit by a guided aircraft munition.
“Russian unmanned aerial vehicles involved in a special military operation carry out reconnaissance, fire adjustment, as well as the combat use of weapons against targets,” –saidin the message of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

It is known from open sources that the take-off weight of the Sirius UAV is two tons, the wingspan is 23 meters, and the flight duration is at least 20 hours. The maximum flight altitude of the drone is 7000 meters,range- 3000 km, cruising speed of the device - 180 kilometers per hour.

Does anyone knows what engines are mounted on this UAV?
If it is an evolution of the Orion with double its takeoff weight (2 tons instead of 1 ton), possibly it uses two 86 kW (115 HP) piston engines. Still I do not understand why going to having a twin engine drone instead of a single 240 hp engine (I know Russia was working on such engines, maybe they are not ready yet).

By the way, are there additional news on the alrger altius drone as well?

That was considerably larger (max takeoff weight between 5 and 7 tons) and originally had 2 red Diesel engines with 500 hp each (the same German engine on the yak-152). I heard it should now instead have VK-800 or VK-650 turboprops.

Possibly it would be also interesting a single engine version with a larger VK-1600S turboprop.

When you know where the target is you don't need anything better than a 4k camera that you can buy on Alibaba for 20$.

But for a surveillance drone you better have the best and some very good thermals.

Rodion_Romanovic wrote:By the way, are there additional news on the alrger altius drone as well?

That was considerably larger (max takeoff weight between 5 and 7 tons) and originally had 2 red Diesel engines with 500 hp each (the same German engine on the yak-152). I heard it should now instead have VK-800 or VK-650 turboprops.

From what I heard the plan is to replace the RED V12 diesel engines with the VK-650. Same thing might happen to the Yak-152.
The alternative is using a diesel engine which comes from the Aurus car called APD-500.

Came across this:

Right Click and choose save as this link.

Was at this website:  https://kronshtadt.ru

By the way, are there additional news on the alrger altius drone as well?

I  suspect now the engine issue is sorted and are on their way they can resume normal testing and work on the projects that will use them.

When you know where the target is you don't need anything better than a 4k camera that you can buy on Alibaba for 20$.

The early Russian drones were often rejected because they used super cheap super poor quality cameras, but a camera is not a good place to save money, even on a suicide drone.

A 4k camera would be good for a decent view needed to find targets and manouver to hit them.

From what I heard the plan is to replace the RED V12 diesel engines with the VK-650. Same thing might happen to the Yak-152.
The alternative is using a diesel engine which comes from the Aurus car called APD-500.

The video about the VK-600 seemed to suggest to me that it would be used on a few platforms but that with some of the platforms like the Altius drone and the Ka-226  helicopter that the VK-800 would also be used for specific versions... I would assume high altitude versions where the extra power would enable higher altitude operations to be standard.

It seems the Americans successfully blocked Russian access to the RED diesel engines so that seems to be over.

June 14, 02:03

Russia has created a heavy-weight drone "Ultimatum" capable of operating in any weather
Director General of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions Dmitry Kuzyakin said that the product can be used, including at low temperatures

MOSCOW, 14 June. /TASS/. The Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions (CCBR) has developed an all-weather FPV drone (first-person view) "Ultimatum", which has an increased payload. This was announced to TASS by the director general of the center Dmitry Kuzyakin.

"Ultimatum" is the latest representative of the universal line of FPV drones "Joker". Our product can work in the most severe weather conditions. There is no such wind and water flow on the planet that could bring down the Ultimatum, unless the drone is under a waterfall. Now our devices will be able to work even in such weather when birds are afraid to fly. This is very important, because the enemy does not expect something to fly to him through the air, for example, during squally winds and hail," Kuzyakin emphasized.

The methods of working with the drone allow the use of the product, including at low temperatures. "We worked at a temperature of minus 29, and the drones performed their function," Kuzyakin said. The specialist also clarified that information about the carrying capacity of the device is currently not subject to disclosure. “I can say one thing: the drone easily carries a brick,” said the head of the Central Design Bureau.

According to Kuzyakin, in the course of creating an all-weather FPV drone, the developers were based solely on the requirements of the Russian military. “We talked, consulted with the military and thought about creating a high-security apparatus.
The Ultimatum will be sent for combat use to the special operation zone in June, in the coming days," the specialist noted.

The Ultimatum is a versatile drone capable of performing combat missions in different units. “Yes, we can make specialized drones, but we prefer versatility in use. As for the Joker line, it will certainly be further improved. The Central Design Bureau continues to work on the next versions,” Kuzyakin specified.

The Central Design Bureau is based in Zhukovsky. The center develops and manufactures FPV drones, trains specialists and works only with law enforcement agencies.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/18001935

It seems the Americans successfully blocked Russian access to the RED diesel engines so that seems to be over.

Let India (or an "indian" company) buy the engines. To produce drones or so in India. Or so.

June 14, 20:08
About three UAV assembly points are planned to be opened in the Tambov region
We are talking about Tambov, Kotovsk and Michurinsk

ST. PETERSBURG, June 14. /TASS/. Collection points for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are planned to open in the cities of the Tambov region - in Tambov, Kotovsk and Michurinsk. This was told to TASS by the head of the Tambov region Maxim Egorov on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

“We are now doing a lot of work and, perhaps, we will have several points for assembling unmanned aerial vehicles. <…> We will see where it is possible, I think it will be Tambov, perhaps Kotovsk, Michurinsk,” Yegorov said.

Yegorov said that the entrepreneurs of the region took the initiative to assemble UAVs, the first batch was sent to the zone of the special military operation. Programs developed by specialists from Tambov universities are being tested, allowing drones to bypass electronic warfare.
"I hope that the Tambov region will be included in the national project on unmanned aerial vehicles, which was initiated by the President and supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade," he added.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum takes place from June 14 to 17, the main theme of the business program is "Sovereign development is the basis of a just world. Let's unite efforts for the sake of future generations." Organizer - Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the media partner of the event.

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/18013127

Not just drones but also batteries and electric motors and other small motor types as well as servos and cameras and other equipment could be developed and produced too...

Would be good to see them experimenting with different types too like airship types of lighter than air platforms and even autogyros etc etc.

Thread continued here.