Foreign customers are showing interest in the Russian reconnaissance and strike drone "Orion-E", said the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of the Russian Federation (FSVTS) Dmitry Shugaev.
- There are potential customers, - Shugaev said on the sidelines of the congress of the Union of Machine Builders of Russia. His words are quoted by TASS. The head of the FSMTC did not name the number of countries interested in acquiring the drone.
"Orion" is a Russian UAV with a long flight duration. Developed by the company "Kronshtadt". The version for the Russian Armed Forces is called "Pacer", the export version is "Orion-E". According to open sources, the Defense Ministry has been testing the drone since 2019, the strike version of the drone was tested in Syria.
Russia's first UAV serial production plant is being built in Dubna, and its launch is scheduled for November 2021. The new production facility will cover the needs of both the Defense Ministry and other customers for the Pacer drones.
The drone has an 8-meter wing, a ton of take-off weight, 200 kg of payload and a combat radius of 250 km. It can stay in the air for 24 hours with a payload of 60 kg (optical and radio intelligence equipment). Specifically for the drone, small-caliber adjustable ammunition has been developed: KAB-20 and KAB-50 bombs, and the KAB-50 planning aerial bomb.
Anton Valagin
