Military unmanned aircraft. Russian drones (UAVs)

Just 20 years ago, Russia was one of the world leaders in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles. Only 950 Tu-143 aerial reconnaissance aircraft were produced in the 80s of the last century. The famous reusable spaceship"Buran", which made its first and only flight in completely unmanned mode. I don’t see any point in somehow giving up on the development and use of drones now.

Background Russian drones(Tu-141, Tu-143, Tu-243). In the mid-sixties, the Tupolev Design Bureau began creating new tactical and unmanned reconnaissance systems operational purpose. On August 30, 1968, Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers N 670-241 was issued on the development of a new unmanned tactical reconnaissance complex "Reis" (VR-3) and its included unmanned reconnaissance aircraft "143" (Tu-143). The deadline for presenting the complex for testing was specified in the Resolution: for the version with photo reconnaissance equipment - 1970, for the version with equipment for television reconnaissance and for the version with equipment for radiation reconnaissance - 1972.

The Tu-143 reconnaissance UAV was mass-produced in two variants with a replaceable nose part: a photo reconnaissance version with recording information on board, and a television reconnaissance version with the transmission of information via radio to ground command posts. In addition, the reconnaissance aircraft could be equipped with radiation reconnaissance equipment with the transmission of materials about the radiation situation along the flight route to the ground via a radio channel. The Tu-143 UAV is presented at an exhibition of aviation equipment at the Central Aerodrome in Moscow and at the Museum in Monino (you can also see the Tu-141 UAV there).

As part of the aerospace show in Zhukovsky MAKS-2007 near Moscow, in the closed part of the exhibition, the MiG aircraft manufacturing corporation showed its attack unmanned system "Scat" - an aircraft designed according to the "flying wing" design and outwardly very reminiscent of the American bomber B-2 Spirit or its a smaller version is the X-47B maritime unmanned aerial vehicle.

"Scat" is designed to strike both pre-reconnaissance stationary targets, primarily air defense systems, in conditions of strong opposition from enemy anti-aircraft weapons, and mobile ground and sea targets when conducting autonomous and group actions, joint with manned aircraft.

Its maximum take-off weight should be 10 tons. Flight range - 4 thousand kilometers. Flight speed near the ground is at least 800 km/h. It will be able to carry two air-to-surface/air-to-radar missiles or two adjustable aerial bombs with a total mass of no more than 1 ton.

The aircraft is designed according to the flying wing design. In addition, well-known techniques for reducing radar signature were clearly visible in the design. Thus, the wingtips are parallel to its leading edge and the contours of the rear part of the device are made in exactly the same way. Above middle part The Skat wing had a fuselage of a characteristic shape, smoothly connected to the load-bearing surfaces. Vertical tail was not provided. As can be seen from the photographs of the Skat model, control was to be carried out using four elevons located on the consoles and on the center section. At the same time, certain questions were immediately raised by the yaw controllability: due to the lack of a rudder and a single-engine design, the UAV needed to somehow solve this problem. There is a version about a single deflection of the internal elevons for yaw control.

The model presented at the MAKS-2007 exhibition had the following dimensions: a wingspan of 11.5 meters, a length of 10.25 and a parking height of 2.7 m. Regarding the mass of the Skat, all that is known is that its maximum take-off weight should have been approximately equal to ten tons. With such parameters, the Skat had good calculated flight data. At a maximum speed of up to 800 km/h, it could rise to a height of up to 12 thousand meters and cover up to 4000 kilometers in flight. Such flight performance was planned to be achieved using a two-circuit turbojet engine RD-5000B with a thrust of 5040 kgf. This turbojet engine was created on the basis of the RD-93 engine, but was initially equipped with a special flat nozzle, which reduces the visibility of the aircraft in the infrared range. The engine air intake was located in the forward part of the fuselage and was an unregulated intake device.

Inside the characteristically shaped fuselage, the Skat had two cargo compartments measuring 4.4 x 0.75 x 0.65 meters. With such dimensions, it was possible to suspend guided missiles in the cargo compartments various types, as well as adjustable bombs. The total mass of the Stingray's combat load should have been approximately two tons. During the presentation at the MAKS-2007 salon, next to the Skat there were Kh-31 missiles and KAB-500 adjustable bombs. The composition of the on-board equipment implied by the project was not disclosed. Based on information about other projects of this class, we can draw conclusions about the presence of a complex of navigation and sighting equipment, as well as some capabilities for autonomous actions.

The Dozor-600 UAV (developed by Transas designers), also known as Dozor-3, is much lighter than the Skat or Proryv. Its maximum take-off weight does not exceed 710-720 kilograms. Moreover, due to the classic aerodynamic layout with a full fuselage and a straight wing, it has approximately the same dimensions as the Stingray: a wingspan of twelve meters and a total length of seven. In the bow of the Dozor-600 there is space for target equipment, and in the middle there is a stabilized platform for observation equipment. A propeller group is located in the tail section of the drone. It is based on a Rotax 914 piston engine, similar to those installed on the Israeli IAI Heron UAV and the American MQ-1B Predator.

The 115 horsepower engine allows the Dozor-600 drone to accelerate to a speed of about 210-215 km/h or make long flights at a cruising speed of 120-150 km/h. When using additional fuel tanks, this UAV is capable of staying in the air for up to 24 hours. Thus, the practical flight range is approaching 3,700 kilometers.

Based on the characteristics of the Dozor-600 UAV, we can draw conclusions about its purpose. Its relatively low take-off weight does not allow it to transport any serious weapons, which limits the range of tasks it can perform exclusively to reconnaissance. However, a number of sources mention the possibility of installing various weapons on the Dozor-600, the total mass of which does not exceed 120-150 kilograms. Because of this, the range of weapons permissible for use is limited only to certain types guided missiles, in particular anti-tank ones. It is noteworthy that when using anti-tank guided missiles, Dozor-600 becomes largely similar to the American MQ-1B Predator, both in technical specifications, and in terms of the composition of weapons.

Heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicle project. The development of the research topic “Hunter” to study the possibility of creating an attack UAV weighing up to 20 tons in the interests of the Russian Air Force was or is being carried out by the Sukhoi company (JSC Sukhoi Design Bureau). For the first time, the plans of the Ministry of Defense to adopt an attack UAV were announced at the MAKS-2009 air show in August 2009. According to a statement by Mikhail Pogosyan in August 2009, the design of a new attack unmanned aerial system was to be the first working together relevant units of the Sukhoi and MiG Design Bureaus (Skat project). The media reported the conclusion of a contract for the implementation of the Okhotnik research work with the Sukhoi company on July 12, 2011. In August 2011, the merger of the relevant divisions of RSK MiG and Sukhoi to develop a promising strike UAV was confirmed in the media, but the official agreement between MiG " and "Sukhoi" were signed only on October 25, 2012.

The terms of reference for the strike UAV were approved by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the first of April 2012. On July 6, 2012, information appeared in the media that the Sukhoi company had been selected by the Russian Air Force as the lead developer. An unnamed industry source also reports that the strike UAV developed by Sukhoi will simultaneously be a sixth-generation fighter. As of mid-2012, it is expected that the first sample of the strike UAV will begin testing no earlier than 2016. It is expected to enter service by 2020. In 2012, JSC VNIIRA carried out a selection of patent materials on the topic of R&D “Hunter”, and in In the future, it was planned to create navigation systems for landing and taxiing heavy UAVs on the instructions of Sukhoi Company OJSC (source).

Media reports that the first sample of a heavy attack UAV named after the Sukhoi Design Bureau will be ready in 2018.

Combat use (otherwise they will say exhibition copies are Soviet junk)

“For the first time in the world, the Russian Armed Forces carried out an attack on a fortified area of ​​militants with combat drones. In the province of Latakia, army units Syrian army, with the support of Russian paratroopers and Russian combat drones, took the strategic height of 754.5, the Siriatel tower.

More recently, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Gerasimov, said that Russia is striving to completely robotize the battle, and perhaps soon we will witness how robotic groups independently conduct military operations, and this is what happened.

In Russia in 2013 it was put into service Airborne forces newest automated control system "Andromeda-D", with the help of which you can carry out operational control of a mixed group of troops.
The use of the latest high-tech equipment allows the command to ensure continuous control of troops performing combat training missions at unfamiliar training grounds, and the Airborne Forces command to monitor their actions, being at a distance of more than 5 thousand kilometers from their deployment sites, receiving from the training area not only a graphic picture of the moving units, but also video images of their actions in real time.

Depending on the tasks, the complex can be mounted on the chassis of a two-axle KamAZ, BTR-D, BMD-2 or BMD-4. Moreover, considering specifics of the Airborne Forces, "Andromeda-D" is adapted for loading into an aircraft, flight and landing.
This system, as well as combat drones were deployed to Syria and tested in combat conditions.
Six Platform-M robotic complexes and four Argo complexes took part in the attack on the heights; the drone attack was supported by self-propelled drones recently deployed to Syria artillery installations(self-propelled guns) "Acacia", which can destroy enemy positions with overhead fire.

From the air, drones conducted reconnaissance behind the battlefield, transmitting information to the deployed Andromeda-D field center, as well as to Moscow in National Center defense management command post Russian General Staff.

Combat robots, self-propelled guns, drones were tied to automated system Andromeda-D control. The commander of the attack to the heights, in real time, led the battle, the operators of combat drones, being in Moscow, led the attack, everyone saw both their own area of ​​​​the battle and the whole picture as a whole.

The drones were the first to attack, approaching 100-120 meters to the militants’ fortifications, they called fire on themselves, and immediately attacked the detected firing points with self-propelled guns.

Behind the drones, at a distance of 150-200 meters, Syrian infantry advanced, clearing the heights.

The militants did not have the slightest chance, all their movements were controlled by drones, artillery strikes were carried out on the discovered militants, literally 20 minutes after the start of the attack by combat drones, the militants fled in horror, abandoning the dead and wounded. On the slopes of height 754.5, almost 70 militants were killed, there were no dead Syrian soldiers, only 4 wounded.”

A robot cannot cause harm to a person or, through inaction, allow a person to be harmed.
- A. Azimov, Three laws of robotics

Isaac Asimov was wrong. Very soon the electronic “eye” will take aim at the person, and the microcircuit will dispassionately order: “Fire to kill!”

The robot is stronger than the flesh and blood pilot. Ten, twenty, thirty hours of continuous flight - he demonstrates constant vigor and is ready to continue the mission. Even when the overloads reach the terrible 10 “zhe”, filling the body with leaden pain, the digital devil will maintain clarity of consciousness, continuing to calmly calculate the course and monitor the enemy.

The digital brain does not require training or regular training to maintain its proficiency. Mathematical models and algorithms for behavior in the air are forever loaded into the machine’s memory. After standing in the hangar for a decade, the robot will return to the sky at any moment, taking the helm in its strong and skillful “hands.”

Their hour has not yet struck. In the US military (the leader in this field of technology), drones make up a third of the fleet of all aircraft in service. Moreover, only 1% of UAVs are capable of using .

Alas, even this is more than enough to spread terror in those territories that are given over to hunting grounds for these ruthless steel birds.

5th place - General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (“Harvester”)

Reconnaissance and strike UAV with max. take-off weight of about 5 tons.

Flight duration: 24 hours.
Speed: up to 400 km/h.
Ceiling: 13,000 meters.
Engine: turboprop, 900 hp
Full fuel supply: 1300 kg.

Armament: up to four Hellfire missiles and two 500-lb. guided bombs JDAM.

Onboard radio-electronic equipment: AN/APY-8 radar with mapping mode (under the nose cone), MTS-B electro-optical sighting station (in a spherical module) for operation in the visible and infrared ranges, with a built-in target designator for illuminating targets for ammunition with semi-active laser guidance.

Cost: $16.9 million

To date, 163 Reaper UAVs have been built.

The most high-profile case combat use: In April 2010, in Afghanistan, an MQ-9 Reaper UAV killed the third person in the al-Qaeda leadership, Mustafa Abu Yazid, known as Sheikh al-Masri.

4th place - Interstate TDR-1

Unmanned torpedo bomber.

Max. take-off weight: 2.7 tons.
Engines: 2 x 220 hp
Cruising speed: 225 km/h,
Flight range: 680 km,
Combat load: 2000 lbs. (907 kg).
Built: 162 units.

“I remember the excitement that gripped me when the screen rippled and became covered with numerous dots - it seemed to me that the remote control system had malfunctioned. A moment later I realized it was anti-aircraft guns shooting! Having adjusted the drone's flight, I sent it straight into the middle of the ship. IN last second The deck flashed before my eyes - so close that I could see the details. Suddenly the screen turned into a gray static background... Apparently, the explosion killed everyone on board.”

“Project Option” envisaged the creation of unmanned torpedo bombers to destroy the Japanese fleet. In April 1942, the first test of the system took place - a “drone”, remotely controlled from an aircraft flying 50 km away, launched an attack on the destroyer Ward. The dropped torpedo passed directly under the keel of the destroyer.

TDR-1 taking off from the deck of an aircraft carrier

Encouraged by the success, the fleet leadership hoped to form 18 attack squadrons consisting of 1000 UAVs and 162 command “Avengers” by 1943. However, the Japanese fleet was soon defeated regular planes, and the program lost priority.

The main secret of the TDR-1 was a small-sized video camera designed by Vladimir Zvorykin. Weighing 44 kg, it had the ability to transmit images via radio at a frequency of 40 frames per second.

“Project Option” is amazing with its boldness and early appearance, but we have 3 more amazing cars ahead:

3rd place - RQ-4 “Global Hawk”

Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft with max. take-off weight 14.6 tons.

Flight duration: 32 hours.
Max. speed: 620 km/h.
Ceiling: 18,200 meters.
Engine: turbojet with a thrust of 3 tons,
Flight range: 22,000 km.
Cost: $131 million (excluding development costs).
Built: 42 units.

The drone is equipped with a set of HISAR reconnaissance equipment, like that, which is installed on modern U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. HISAR includes synthetic aperture radar, optical and thermal cameras, and satellite channel data transfer at a speed of 50 Mbit/sec. Installation possible additional equipment for conducting electronic reconnaissance.

Each UAV has a complex protective equipment, including laser and radar warning stations, as well as an ALE-50 towed decoy to deflect missiles fired at it.

Forest fires in California captured by Global Hawk

A worthy successor to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, soaring in the stratosphere with its huge wings spread. The RQ-4's records include long-distance flight (USA to Australia, 2001), longest flight of any UAV (33 hours in the air, 2008), and demonstration of drone refueling (2012). By 2013, the RQ-4's total flight time exceeded 100,000 hours.

The MQ-4 Triton drone was created on the basis of the Global Hawk. A naval reconnaissance aircraft with a new radar, capable of surveying 7 million square meters per day. kilometers of ocean.

The Global Hawk does not carry strike weapons, but it deservedly makes it onto the list of the most dangerous drones because it knows too much.

2nd place - X-47B “Pegasus”

Stealth reconnaissance and strike UAV with max. take-off weight 20 tons.

Cruising speed: Mach 0.9.
Ceiling: 12,000 meters.
Engine: from an F-16 fighter, thrust 8 tons.
Flight range: 3900 km.
Cost: $900 million for research and development work on the X-47 program.
Built: 2 concept demonstrators.
Armament: two internal bomb bays, combat load 2 tons.

A charismatic drone, built according to the “duck” design, but without the use of PGO, the role of which is played by the supporting fuselage itself, made using stealth technology and having a negative installation angle relative to air flow. To consolidate the effect, the lower part of the fuselage in the nose has a shape similar to the descent modules of spacecraft.

A year ago, the X-47B amused the public with its flights from the decks of aircraft carriers. This phase of the program is now nearing completion. In the future - the appearance of an even more formidable X-47C drone with a combat load of over four tons.

1st place - “Taranis”

The concept of a stealth attack UAV from the British company BAE Systems.

Little is known about the drone itself:
Subsonic speed.
Stealth technology.
Turbojet engine with a thrust of 4 tons.
The appearance is reminiscent of the Russian experimental UAV “Skat”.
Two internal weapons bays.

What is so terrible about this “Taranis”?

The goal of the program is to develop technologies for creating an autonomous stealth attack drone, which will allow you to deliver high-precision strikes against ground targets at long range and automatically evade enemy weapons.

Before this, debates about possible “jamming of communications” and “interception of control” caused only sarcasm. Now they have completely lost their meaning: “Taranis”, in principle, is not ready to communicate. He is deaf to all requests and pleas. The robot indifferently looks for someone whose appearance matches the description of the enemy.

Flight test cycle at the Australian Woomera test site, 2013.

“Taranis” is just the beginning of the journey. On its basis it is planned to create an unmanned attack bomber with intercontinental range flight. In addition, the emergence of fully autonomous drones will open the way to the creation of unmanned fighters (since existing remotely controlled UAVs are not capable of air battle, due to delays in their telecontrol system).

British scientists are preparing a worthy ending for all of humanity.

Epilogue

The war has no woman's face. Rather, not human.

Unmanned technology is a flight into the future. It brings us closer to the eternal human dream: to finally stop risking the lives of soldiers and leave feats of arms to soulless machines.

Following Moore's rule of thumb (computer performance doubling every 24 months), the future could arrive unexpectedly soon...

Drone

Unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) is a type of aircraft that is not controlled by a pilot on board.

The historical abbreviation is UAV; V last years The press also uses the abbreviation UAV.

There are unmanned aircrafts:

• unmanned unmanned
• unmanned automatic
• unmanned remotely piloted aerial vehicles ( RPV)

However, most often, UAVs are understood as remotely controlled aircraft used to carry out aerial reconnaissance and striking. Most famous example The UAV is an American Predator.

Unmanned aerial vehicles are usually divided according to such interrelated parameters as weight, time, flight range and altitude. There are devices of the “micro” class (conventional name) weighing up to 10 kilograms, a flight time of about 1 hour and an altitude of up to 1 kilometer, “mini” - weighing up to 50 kilograms, a flight time of several hours and an altitude of up to 3 - 5 kilometers, medium (“ midi") - up to 1,000 kilograms, time 10-12 hours and altitude up to 9-10 kilometers, heavy - with flight altitudes up to 20 kilometers and flight time 24 hours or more.

Story

Design

To determine coordinates and ground speed, modern UAVs usually use satellite navigation receivers (GLONASS). Attitude and g-force angles are determined using gyroscopes and accelerometers. Software usually written in languages high level, such as C, C++, Modula-2, Oberon SA or Ada95. As a rule, specialized computers based on PC/104, QNX, VxWorks,

UAVs by country

see also

Notes

Links

• Descriptions of UAV, RPV, UAV.
• The Russian "drone" Tu-300 is planned to be modernized
• The program for creating attack UAVs will be implemented by RSK MiG together with JSC Klimov
• uav.su: The latest unmanned aviation news from around the world.
• zala.aero: Official website of the UAV manufacturer “Unmanned Systems” ZALA AERO
• By 2011, the Russian Air Force will receive modern UAVs, including attack ones.
• Analysis of the situation with UAVs in the Russian Federation, Kommersant

In Hollywood science fiction films quite often the image of an unmanned aerial vehicle can be seen percussion apparatus. So, currently The USA is the world leader in the construction and design of drones. And they do not stop there, increasingly increasing the fleet of UAVs in the armed forces.

Having gained experience from the first and second Iraqi campaigns and the Afghan campaign, the Pentagon continues to develop unmanned systems. Purchases of UAVs will be increased, and criteria for new devices will be created. UAVs first occupied the niche of light reconnaissance aircraft, but already in the 2000s it became clear that they were promising and how attack aircraft- used in Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan. Drones have become full-fledged strike units.

MQ-9 Reaper "Reaper"

The Pentagon's latest purchase was order of 24 attack UAVs of the MQ-9 Reaper type. This contract will almost double the number of such drones in the military (at the beginning of 2009, the US had 28 of these drones). Gradually, the “Reapers” (according to Anglo-Saxon mythology, the image of death) should replace the older “Predators” MQ-1 Predator; there are approximately 200 of them in service.

The MQ-9 Reaper UAV first flew in February 2001. The device was created in 2 versions: turboprop and turbojet, but the US Air Force became interested new technology, pointed out the need for uniformity by refusing to purchase the jet version. In addition, despite its high aerobatic qualities (for example, a practical ceiling of up to 19 kilometers), it could be in the air for no more than 18 hours, which did not satisfy the Air Force. The turboprop model went into production with a 910-horsepower TPE-331 engine, the brainchild of Garrett AiResearch.

Basic performance characteristics of the Reaper:

— Weight: 2223 kg (empty) and 4760 kg (maximum);
— Maximum speed- 482 km/h and cruising - about 300 km/h;
— Maximum range flight – 5800...5900 km;
— With a full load, the UAV will perform its work for about 14 hours. In total, the MQ-9 is capable of staying in the air for up to 28-30 hours;
— The practical ceiling is up to 15 kilometers, and the working altitude level is 7.5 km;

Reaper weapons: has 6 hardpoints, a total payload of up to 3800 pounds, so instead of 2 AGM-114 Hellfire guided missiles on the Predator, its more advanced brother can take up to 14 missiles.
The second option for equipping the Reaper is a combination of 4 Hellfires and 2 five-hundred-pound GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs.
The 500-pound caliber also allows the use of GPS-guided JDAM weapons, such as the GBU-38 ammunition. Air-to-air weapons are represented by the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and, more recently, the AIM-92 Stinger, a modification of the well-known MANPADS missile, adapted for air launch.

avionics: AN/APY-8 Lynx II synthetic aperture radar capable of operating in mapping mode - in the nose cone. At low speeds (up to 70 knots), the radar can scan the surface with a resolution of one meter, scanning 25 square kilometers per minute. On high speeds(about 250 knots) – up to 60 square kilometers.

In search modes, the radar, in the so-called SPOT mode, provides instant “snapshots” of local areas from a distance of up to 40 kilometers earth's surface measuring 300x170 meters, the resolution reaches 10 centimeters. Combined electro-optical and thermal imaging sighting station MTS-B - on a spherical suspension under the fuselage. Includes a laser rangefinder/target designator capable of targeting the full range of US and NATO semi-active laser-guided munitions.

In 2007, the first attack squadron of “Reapers” was formed, they entered service with the 42nd Attack Squadron, which is located at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. In 2008, they were armed with the 174th Fighter Wing of the Air Force. National Guard. NASA, the Ministry of national security, at the Border Guard Service.
The system was not put up for sale. Of the allies, Australia and England bought the Reapers. Germany abandoned this system in favor of its own and Israeli developments.

Prospects

The next generation of medium-sized UAVs under the MQ-X and MQ-M programs should be operational by 2020. The military wants to simultaneously expand combat capabilities attack UAV and integrate it as much as possible into the overall combat system.

Main goals:

“They plan to create a basic platform that can be used in all theaters of military operations, which will greatly increase the functionality of the unmanned air force group in the region, as well as increase the speed and flexibility of response to emerging threats.

— Increasing the autonomy of the device and increasing the ability to perform tasks in complex weather conditions. Automatic take-off and landing, entering the combat patrol area.

— Interception of air targets, direct support ground forces, the use of a drone as an integrated intelligence complex, a set of electronic warfare tasks and tasks of providing communications and illumination of the situation in the form of deploying an information gateway on the basis of an aircraft.

— Suppression of the enemy’s air defense system.

— By 2030, they plan to create a model of a refueling drone, a kind of unmanned tanker capable of supplying fuel to other aircraft - this will dramatically increase the duration of their stay in the air.

— There are plans to create modifications of UAVs that will be used in search and rescue and evacuation missions related to the air transportation of people.

— The concept of the combat use of UAVs is planned to include the architecture of the so-called “swarm” (SWARM), which will allow for the joint combat use of groups of unmanned aircraft for the exchange of intelligence information and strike operations.

— As a result, UAVs should “grow” into such tasks as inclusion in the country’s air defense and missile defense system and even delivering strategic strikes. This dates back to the mid-21st century.

Fleet

In early February 2011, a jet took off from Edwards Air Force Base (California). UAV X-47V. The development of drones for the Navy began in 2001. Sea trials should begin in 2013.

Basic requirements of the Navy:
— deck-based, including landing without violating the stealth regime;
— two full-fledged compartments for installing weapons, total weight which, according to some reports, can reach two tons;
— in-flight refueling system.

The United States is developing a list of requirements for the 6th generation fighter:

— Equipping with next-generation on-board information and control systems, stealth technologies.

— Hypersonic speed, that is, speeds above Mach 5-6.

— Possibility of unmanned control.

— The electronic element base of the aircraft’s on-board complexes must give way to an optical one, built on photonics technologies, with a complete transition to fiber-optic communication lines.

Thus, the United States confidently maintains its position in the development, deployment and accumulation of experience in the combat use of UAVs. Participation in a number of local wars allowed armed forces The United States maintains personnel in combat-ready condition, improves equipment and technology, combat use and control schemes.

The Armed Forces gained unique combat experience and the opportunity in practice to reveal and correct design flaws without major risks. UAVs are becoming part of a unified combat system—waging “network-centric warfare.”

It is unlikely that robots will ever completely replace humans in areas of activity that require rapid adoption. non-standard solutions how in peaceful life, and in battle. However, the development of drones in the last nine years has become fashion trend military aircraft industry. Many militarily leading countries are mass producing UAVs. Russia has not yet managed not only to take its traditional leadership position in the field of weapons design, but also to overcome the gap in this segment of defense technologies. However, work in this direction is underway.

Motivation for UAV development

The first results of using unmanned aircraft appeared back in the forties, however, the technology of that time was more consistent with the concept of an “aircraft-projectile”. Cruise missile"Fau" could fly in one direction with its own course control system, built on the inertial-gyroscopic principle.

In the 50s and 60s, Soviet air defense systems reached a high level of effectiveness, and began to pose a serious danger to aircraft probable enemy in the event of a real confrontation. The wars in Vietnam and the Middle East caused real panic among US and Israeli pilots. Cases of refusals to carry out combat missions in areas covered by Soviet-made anti-aircraft systems have become frequent. Ultimately, the reluctance to put the lives of pilots at mortal risk prompted design companies to look for a way out.

Start of practical application

The first country to use unmanned aircraft was Israel. In 1982, during the conflict with Syria (Bekaa Valley), reconnaissance aircraft operating in robotic mode appeared in the sky. With their help, the Israelis managed to detect enemy air defense formations, which made it possible to launch a missile strike on them.

The first drones were intended exclusively for reconnaissance flights over “hot” territories. Currently, attack drones are also used, having weapons and ammunition on board and directly delivering bombs and missile strikes on expected enemy positions.

The United States has the largest number of them, where Predators and other types of combat aircraft are mass-produced.

Experience in the use of military aviation in modern period, in particular the operation to pacify the South Ossetian conflict in 2008, showed that Russia also needs UAVs. Conduct heavy reconnaissance in the face of enemy attacks air defense risky and leads to unjustified losses. As it turned out, there are certain shortcomings in this area.

Problems

The dominant modern idea today is the opinion that Russia needs attack UAVs to a lesser extent than reconnaissance ones. You can deliver a fire strike to the enemy by a variety of means, including tactical missiles high precision and artillery. Where information is more important about the deployment of his forces and correct target designation. As shown American experience, the use of drones directly for shelling and bombing leads to numerous mistakes, the death of civilians and their own soldiers. This does not exclude complete failure from impact samples, but only reveals promising direction, according to which they will be in soon develop new Russian UAVs. It would seem that the country that just recently occupied a leading position in the creation of unmanned aerial vehicles is doomed to success today. Back in the first half of the 60s, aircraft were created that flew in automatic mode: La-17R (1963), Tu-123 (1964) and others. The leadership remained in the 70s and 80s. However, in the nineties, the technological lag became obvious, and an attempt to eliminate it in the last decade, accompanied by the expenditure of five billion rubles, did not give the expected result.

Current situation

At the moment, the most promising UAVs in Russia are represented by the following main models:

In practice, the only serial UAVs in Russia are now represented by the complex artillery reconnaissance"Tipchak", capable of performing a narrowly defined range of combat missions related to target designation. The agreement between Oboronprom and IAI for large-scale assembly of Israeli drones, signed in 2010, can be viewed as a temporary measure that does not ensure development Russian technologies, but only covering a gap in the range of domestic defense production.

Some promising models can be reviewed individually as part of publicly available information.

"Pacer"

Take-off weight is one ton, which is not so little for a drone. Project development The company "Transas" is engaged in this work; flight tests of prototypes are currently underway. The layout, V-shaped tail, wide wing, take-off and landing method (aircraft), and general characteristics approximately correspond to those of the currently most common American Predator. The Russian UAV “Inokhodets” will be able to carry a variety of equipment allowing for reconnaissance at any time of the day, aerial photography and telecommunications support. It is assumed that it will be possible to produce strike, reconnaissance and civilian modifications.

"Watch"

The main model is reconnaissance; it is equipped with video and photo cameras, a thermal imager and other recording equipment. Attack UAVs can also be produced on the basis of a heavy airframe. Russia needs Dozor-600 more as a universal platform for testing technologies for the production of more powerful drones, but the launch of this particular drone into mass production cannot be ruled out either. The project is currently under development. The date of the first flight was 2009, at the same time the sample was presented at the MAKS international exhibition. Designed by Transas.

"Altair"

It can be assumed that at the moment the largest attack UAVs in Russia are Altair, developed by the Sokol Design Bureau. The project also has another name - “Altius-M”. The take-off weight of these drones is five tons, it will be built by the Kazan Gorbunov Aviation Plant, part of Joint-Stock Company"Tupolev". The cost of the contract concluded with the Ministry of Defense is approximately one billion rubles. It is also known that these new Russian UAVs have dimensions comparable to those of an interceptor aircraft:

• length - 11,600 mm;
• wingspan - 28,500 mm;
• tail span - 6,000 mm.

The power of two screw aviation diesel engines is 1000 hp. With. These Russian reconnaissance and strike UAVs will be able to stay in the air for up to two days, covering a distance of 10 thousand kilometers. Little is known about electronic equipment; one can only guess about its capabilities.

Other types

Other Russian UAVs are also in promising development, for example, the aforementioned “Okhotnik”, an unmanned heavy drone capable of also performing various functions both information-reconnaissance and strike-assault. In addition, there is also diversity in the principle of the device. UAVs come in both airplane and helicopter types. Big number rotors provides the ability to effectively maneuver and hover over an object of interest, producing high-quality photography. Information can be quickly transmitted over encrypted communication channels or accumulated in the built-in memory of the equipment. UAV control can be algorithmic-software, remote or combined, in which the return to the base is carried out automatically in case of loss of control.

Apparently unmanned Russian devices soon they will be neither qualitatively nor quantitatively inferior to foreign models.