The armed forces will receive a new Sirius UAV, which has become a development of Orion, in 2023. Among the distinctive features of the new product is a large payload.
Under the influence of other countries, Russia is actively arming itself with attack drones. As [...] Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko said at the Army-2021 forum, in the near future the troops will receive a new type of UAV, known as the" Pacer-RU "or"Sirius". "We expect the delivery of these machines starting from 2023," TASS quotes him as saying.
The Russian Defense Ministry and the Kronshtadt company signed the supply agreement at the forum. "Inokhodets-RU" became the development of the project of the shock UAV "Inokhodets", which is also known under the designation "Orion".
The new device will receive two engines. Compared to the Orion, it will have a larger take-off mass and will be able to carry more payload.
Orion is a landmark project for the Russian defense industry. This medium-altitude UAV with a long flight duration became the first" full-fledged " attack drone delivered to the Russian Armed Forces.
It can carry 200 kilograms of payload. The duration of the Orion flight when using a standard load is 24 hours. The device is capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. The flight altitude is up to 7500 meters.
It is important to note that this UAV has already been used in combat: footage of its use in Syria was shown in February of this year. The device performed both reconnaissance and strike missions.
"Orion" in the shock version
Image source: Ministry of Defense
In addition, this year, Russian specialists have made progress on another program. As reported, the new UAV "Altius" was first tested by bombing. The tests were conducted at one of the military training grounds. The device is equipped with a universal complex of weapons, which is used by Orion. Altius can use, in particular, corrected aerial bombs and guided missiles.
UAV "Altius"
Image source: Russian Defense Ministry
The real breakthrough, if it happens, is not connected with these devices, but with the new Hunter UAV. This is one of the largest unmanned aerial vehicles in the world. It is built using stealth technology and can, according to some reports, lift a combat load weighing about three tons (a number of sources indicate even eight tons of payload).
So far, however, the project is far from serial implementation: today only one "Hunter"has been built. In February, it became known that Russia is creating three more such UAVs, and the third and fourth will actually correspond to the serial version.