MOSCOW, June 28-RIA Novosti. Russia has begun to promote its first export attack drone "Orion-E" to the world weapons market, the first applications for the drone have been received from customers, a source in the defense industry complex told RIA Novosti.
Previously, the Orion was offered for export only in a reconnaissance version, without aircraft weapons.
He added that " proposals were sent out for the supply of the Orion shock to a number of foreign customers who may be in demand for shock devices of this class, and several initiative applications were also received from potential buyers."
According to the source, real deliveries of the Orion strike aircraft for export can start at the end of this or the beginning of next year, after the opening of the Kronshtadt plant for the production of drones in Dubna.
"It is expected that according to the combination of indicators "price – quality – intellectualization of the board", the Russian Orion-E attack drones will be one of the best offers on the market and will become "killers" of such competitors as the Turkish Bayraktar, "the agency interlocutor added.
The press service of Rosoboronexport did not comment on the information provided by the source to RIA Novosti. At the same time, the company stressed that "the Orion unmanned complex really has a great export potential and interest in it is caused due to its unique tactical and technical characteristics and combat capabilities."
The strike version of the Orion-E is equipped with a universal complex of aviation weapons that allows you to destroy both stationary and moving ground targets, armored vehicles and enemy vehicles, its manpower with high efficiency. The Orion-E weapons include unguided and corrected aerial bombs, as well as various guided missiles. The maximum mass of the combat load of the drone is 200 kilograms, the total mass of the payload is up to 250 kilograms.
"Orion-E" belongs to the class of medium-high impact unmanned aerial vehicles of long flight duration. The drone is delivered to the Russian Armed Forces under the name "Pacer". The device can be in flight for up to a day. Its maximum take-off weight is 1150 kilograms, the cruising speed of the UAV is 200 kilometers per hour, the maximum flight altitude is 7 kilometers. The wingspan of the drone is 16 meters, the length is 8 meters.
The Russian military actively used "Pacers" for reconnaissance and air strikes against terrorists in Syria as part of flight tests of an unmanned complex.
