Image source: topwar.ru
The Ukrainian military claim to have found the wreckage of a Russian Orion drone in the Kherson region, allegedly shot down by the air defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, the UAV was equipped with new guided aerial bombs designed for this class of vehicles.
The photos shown by the APU show a fragment of a wing along with a mount for weapons, which still has one of the bombs attached to the drone. This is presumably a KAB-20.
The KAB-20s were designed specifically for UAVs, so their mass is small and is only 21 kg, of which the warhead accounts for 7 kg. The high-explosive warhead has a small area of destruction, but the bomb is equipped with a contactless fuse and is guided by a laser. Earlier there was information about the commissioning in April 2023 of the KAB-20C version with satellite guidance (GLONASS /GPS). This is a classic floating bomb, and its range depends on the height and speed at which it will be dropped. There is no official information about the TTX, however, as Western observers believe, the flight distance does not exceed 8 km.
Image source: topwar.ru
"Orion" (also known as "Pacer") carries up to 200 kg of weapons, which theoretically allows you to hang up to 8 bombs of the KAB-20 type. The machine can have two armament pylons under the fuselage and two under each of the wings. In addition to the aforementioned bombs (and their heavier version of the KAB-50 weighing 50 kg), the Orion was also integrated with the Kornet ATGM, its special version of the X-UAV, as well as with the X-50 light guided missiles.
Orion is a reconnaissance and strike vehicle that reaches a flight duration of up to 24 hours at a maximum ceiling of 7,500 meters and a speed of up to 200 km / h. The range of direct control is 250 km, and with a repeater – up to 300 km.