Moscow, August 13 - Vesti.Ekonomika In early August, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was assassinated. The case is unique: for the first time in history, they tried to kill the head of state with drones - the drones were carrying a kilogram of C-4 and were supposed to explode next to Maduro during his speech. Experts say there will only be more such stories in the future. In the end, anyone can buy a drone, and the means of protection are not yet very effective.
Last year, it became known about the development of a new type of killer drone - TIKAD, which can carry sniper rifle, a machine gun and even a grenade launcher.
The founder of Duke Robotics, Raziel Atuar, is a former cop in the Israeli military's special forces unit. Arm the drone with combat small arms he conceived after participating in counter-terrorist operations in which he had to fight in the middle of peaceful settlements. In his opinion, the use of armed drones can reduce the number of civilian casualties. The first prototype of TIKAD appeared in 2015 and was immediately adopted by the IDF. Over the past three years, the drone has been finalized; now it is no longer thrown by recoil thanks to the new stabilization system.
The latest version of the drone lifts any weapon weighing up to 10 kg into the air. Drones are controlled remotely, and they shoot only at the command of the operator - at least for now. Now the startup is looking for investors, but there are rumors that the Israeli military has already agreed with Duke Robotics on the purchase of a batch, and negotiations are underway with the US Armed Forces.
Small quadcopters were previously unable to lift a heavy rifle, but now the designers have created a whole range of heavy-duty models that can carry loads of up to 18 kg - more than enough. Be that as it may, there is still the problem of rifle stabilization and strong recoil capable of turning the copter in the air.
The creators of TIKAD say they have a "unique solution for drone stabilization and recoil suppression" - the weapon is mounted on a robotic gimbal that rotates in real time, keeping the barrel in the right direction. The recoil energy is distributed using flexible plates, which minimizes (but does not completely eliminate) displacement.
Another approach is to use weapons without recoil. Instead of large-caliber rifles, the drones are armed with missile clusters capable of quickly firing a swarm of projectiles at the intended target.
The Taiwanese government was so inspired by the success of drones that they commissioned engineers to build their own. Drones armed with weapons are being prepared for the army assault rifle T91 and three 40mm grenade launchers. It raises fears that the drones could end up in the hands of terrorists. In this case, incidents similar to the Venezuelan one will end very badly.
Initially, TIKAD was intended to carry out missions in critical situations where an ordinary person could not cope or was exposed to an unreasonably high risk, but it is clear to everyone that very soon drones will become a mass phenomenon and, with the growth of technology, they will gradually displace people from combat operations.
Experts are concerned that military drones are the next step towards autonomous weapons that choose their targets without any human understanding of legal, moral or social norms.
At the same time, the development of new methods to combat drones is one of the priorities of the Pentagon. Recently it became known that Lockheed Martin will produce such weapons. New anti-drone guns will be installed on aircraft and helicopters. They will allow you to disable enemy drones with a directed beam of microwave radiation.
Military drones have attracted a lot of attention over the years, but few people get them right. Yes, most of their descriptions accurately describe how they are used in battle, but also often these stories give a false impression, ridiculous and not supported by facts. Here are ten of the most common misconceptions about military drones.
Virtually everyone calls a military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) a drone, but this is a misconception that offends their pilots (yes, they have pilots). The word "drone" is often associated with a quiet buzzing, which is why male bees are called drones. But using the word "drone" to describe the complex system being deployed on the modern battlefield is ridiculous and insulting to their operators.
"Drone" implies no involvement on the part of an expert operator, so the term is not widely used by the military. Outside of the military, the word “drone” is more commonly associated with quadcopters, small remote-controlled aircraft that enthusiasts use for a variety of activities, including quadcopter racing, aerial photography, and just plain fun.
They are new to the military.
UAVs are not new to military weaponry, but it might surprise you that they were first used back in the 19th century! Austrian troops attacking Italy in 1849 approached Venice armed with 200 balloons. These balls were fitted with timed fuse bombs. Their success was not complete, as many balloons were blown back to the Austrian front lines, but some did achieve their goals. This is the first example of the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle in military operations.
Since then, remotely controlled vehicles have been developed and used in many armed forces. different countries. Until GPS became a widespread technology that allowed devices to be controlled from a satellite anywhere in the world, they were controlled using a radio channel.
Few people manage them.
One of the biggest disadvantages of manned aircraft is the total number of people needed to manage them. We need pilots, co-pilots, crew on board and others, depending on the type of transport. In addition, we need people who run vehicle, move it, service and repair it, and even store it when no one is using it.
In fact, they are not very different. Moreover, sometimes they require even more people to operate than most manned vehicles. In addition to the people who maintain and operate the craft, there are operators of every sensor and camera on board. For comparison, it takes about 100 people to control the F-16, Predator - 168, and Reaper - 180. But these are American UAV systems.
They rarely break and require minimal support.
The operation of any military apparatus is an expensive pleasure, and in this regard, UAVs are not much different. At the same time, the UAV has serious problem A: They often break. Of course, it is better to lose an unmanned vehicle than a manned one, because in the first case there is no need to search and rescue pilots. However, the military does not really like when their technology falls into the clutches of the enemy, so crashed UAVs also often require a mission to retrieve the wreckage or the final destruction of the fallen device.
Since 2004, the number of UAV accidents has steadily increased, possibly due to increased operating hours and general fatigue of systems that were actively used in Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2004 there were only nine accidents, and in 2012 there were already twenty-six. Many accidents are the result of hostile actions aimed at destroying the craft, and many more fall from the sky for unknown or unspecified reasons.
If their communication is disrupted, they will fall
Most UAVs use satellite communications, which are difficult to disrupt. It is very difficult, almost impossible, to confuse them from the ground, since all their communication goes up in a thin beam. If the communication systems of the drone are broken, it switches to autopilot until it restores communication with the operator.
Commercial drones are much easier to confuse because their communication is based on radio, so increasing power on their operating frequency tends to cause communication to fail. When it comes to military drones, things are much more complicated.
Deliberate communication failure is a dangerous undertaking, as it requires a large number energy to operate the equipment. Various rigs already exist and people make projects like "rifles" themselves when they want to shoot down a commercial drone, but we don't recommend using them.
They can stay in the air for a short period of time
This misconception may be due to the relatively short duration flights that commercial drones and drones can support. Most quadcopters can stay in the air for 15 minutes, and very few can stay in the air for twice as long. The main reason for this is energy storage and consumption. Most commercial drones are small and powered by an onboard battery. Almost all UAVs, however, carry fuel like a conventional aircraft. Therefore, they can stay in the air much longer than their civilian counterparts.
Predator, one of the most used UAVs in combat, can stay in the air for 27 hours. Russian analogue"Dozor-600", designed to perform similar purposes (currently under development), can remain in the air for up to 30 hours. Global Observer Stratospheric Persistent has recently developed an UAV that can stay in the air for up to 168 hours due to its high operating altitude (20,000 meters) and the use of liquid hydrogen as fuel.
Anyone can fly a drone (like in a video game)
While there is a perception that a good gamer (a person who plays video games) can be a good UAV operator, this does not necessarily work the other way around. Most UAVs will deny this, and many of them have even recorded and explained in detail why drone control has little to do with a video game. Most of the UAVs that are in use by the army are difficult to fly, like any other aircraft, and require a well-trained and skilled pilot. Some games may duplicate this to some extent, but very few people who are good at Microsoft Flight Simulator will be able to sit in a cockpit for eight hours without a break.
Another important difference is that the UAV pilot can attack and destroy the target, which may well be a living, breathing person. No video game comes close to completing such a mission (don't confuse the virtual with the real).
They have "cleanup lists"
The main purpose of almost all UAVs is reconnaissance and security. During operation, they are "eyes in the sky" and are used to ensure the safety of the headquarters working on the spot. Of course, some drones are equipped with weapons and are used to destroy targets; but that is not their main mission. In fact, they do not have any "cleansing lists" in which the targets presented for destruction are indicated by name.
In order for an UAV to open fire on any target, it must first identify and verify it, and then the ground commander will make the decision to shoot or not. Unfortunately, there are also erroneous decisions, as in the case of manned aircraft, and civilian targets are mistakenly attacked. That is why the opinion appeared that UAVs perform the task regardless of decisions on the ground, that is, they destroy the target without definition, regardless of the situation.
The military maintains lists of high-ranking targets, but they are not loaded on board the vehicle and are considered as possible targets.
They are autonomous
As we have already found out, almost all UAVs need qualified operators who can control the device and use its various systems. They can hardly be considered autonomous, although some flight operations are supported by computers, like the autopilot that every commercial airliner is equipped with today.
While it can be said that the military is not currently operating autonomous killer robots, as many people think, no one is saying that this will not be the case in the future. Currently, for example, the US Navy and Army are exploring the possibility of creating autonomous drones due to a shortage of pilots, and DARPA has been tasked with developing a set of six aircraft that can "jointly locate, track, identify and engage targets."
They are made for one purpose: to kill
Most of the drones in service with the armies of different countries are used for aerial reconnaissance or surveillance in one form or another. The same Predator was developed for these tasks until the conflict in Iraq began. Fleets of small craft have never been and are unlikely to be armed due to their size and other missions.
But what will happen next is still unknown. Many countries are developing UAVs specifically for combat purposes. In 2013, Boeing was able to upgrade the F-16, which is normally flown by two people, to become fully unmanned. The lack of personnel in the cockpit allowed the vehicle to reach accelerations of 9G, which would have been incredibly dangerous for humans.
In addition, UAV helicopters with machine guns are being developed, as well as stealth and other types of combat vehicles. The future of drone warfare looks set to make all our delusions a reality.
Resembling giant stingrays, combat remote-controlled strike drones are considered one of the strangest flying systems ever invented by man. They represent the next evolutionary step in the art of war, as they will definitely soon become the vanguard of any modern air force, as they have a lot of undeniable advantages in frontal combat, especially when dealing with a strong symmetrical opponent.
Lessons that hardly anyone is taught
Essentially seen as a means of getting crews out of danger in areas with dense air defenses, where the chances of survival are not so great, attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are essentially the brainchild of countries with strong defense industries and solid annual budgets and often with high moral standards regarding the cost of the lives of its soldiers. In the past few years, the United States, Europe and Russia have been actively developing subsonic stealth UAVs, followed by China, always ready to copy and adapt everything that is invented in the world.
These new weapons systems are very different from the MALE (medium-altitude, long-range) drones that everyone sees around the clock on their TV screens and which are built by well-known Israeli and American companies, such as IAI and General Atomics, which are today excellent experts in the field, by the well-researched Ryan Aero with its BQM-34 Firebee remotely controlled jet aircraft… 60 years ago.
Probing the future of dogfighting: The Rafale fighter accompanies the Neuron strike drone, designed to break through heavily defended airspace. Due to the superior combat effectiveness of the new generation of surface-to-air missiles, only such stealthy strike UAVs (with a low effective scattering area) will be able to close in on a ground target and destroy it with a high probability of hitting and return home to prepare for the next battle.
UAVs are not just “armed” drones, as it might seem, even if today it is customary to classify UAVs like the armed MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper, for example, as strike systems. This is a completely misused term. After all, apart from participating in offensive operations in safe or controlled airspace by allied forces, UAVs are completely incapable of passing through the battle formations of properly manned opponent systems.
A visit to the Aerospace Museum in Belgrade acts as a real revelation in this area. In 1999, during NATO operations in Yugoslavia, at least 17 American RQ-1 Predators were shot down by either MiG fighters or Strela MANPADS missiles. Even despite their discretion, once discovered, MALE drones are doomed and will not survive even an hour. It is worth recalling that in the same campaign, the Yugoslav army destroyed an American F-117 Nighthawk stealth aircraft. For the first time in the history of military aviation, an aircraft that was not detected by radar and was considered invulnerable was shot down.
For the only time in its entire combat service, the F-117 was discovered and shot down, moreover, on a moonless night (there were only three such nights in the five-week war) by a rocket of the antiquarian S-125 air defense system of Soviet production. But the Yugoslavs were not a rabble of marginals with primitive notions of military art like the Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) or the Taliban, they were well-trained and cunning professional soldiers, able to adapt to new threats. And they have proven it.
The Northrop Grumman X-47B UAV prototype took another historic step on May 17, 2013, making several landings with immediate take-off after touching down on the USS George W. Bush, off the coast of Virginia.
Military aviation is only a hundred years old, but it is already replete with spectacular inventions, the latest ones include attack unmanned aerial vehicles or combat drones. Over the course of a century, the concept of aerial combat has changed radically, especially since the end of the Vietnam War. air battles The use of machine guns to destroy the enemy in the First and Second World Wars has now become a page of history, and the advent of second-generation air-to-air missiles has turned guns into a rather outdated tool for this task, and now they are only useful as auxiliary weapons. for shelling the ground from the air.
Today, this trend is reinforced by the advent of hypersonic maneuverable missiles for engaging targets beyond the range of visual visibility, which, when launched in large numbers and in tandem with missiles of the wing aircraft, for example, leave almost no chance for evasive maneuver to any enemy flying at high altitude.
The situation is the same with modern ground-to-air weapons controlled by an instantaneously reacting network-centric air defense computer system. Indeed, the level of combat effectiveness modern missiles, which easily enter well-protected airspace, has become higher than ever in our days. Perhaps the only panacea for this is aircraft and cruise missiles with a reduced effective reflection area (EPO) or low-flying attack weapons with the mode of flying around and around the terrain at extremely low altitude.
In April 2015, the X-47B demonstrated not only a convincing ability to operate from an aircraft carrier, but it also proved its ability to refuel in the air. The second participant in this event over the Chesapeake Bay was the Boeing KC-707 tanker. This is a real premiere for the UAV, as this test marked the first in-flight refueling of an unmanned aircraft.
At the turn of the new millennium, American pilots began to think about what could be done differently with remotely piloted aircraft, which had become quite a fashionable topic after its expanded use in military operations. As entry into well-defended airspace became more and more dangerous and associated with great risk to combat pilots, even those flying the latest jet fighter-bombers, the only way to solve this problem was to use weapons that were used outside the reach of enemy weapons. , and/or the creation of low-observable high subsonic attack drones capable of disappearing into the air through the use of special radar avoidance technologies, including radar absorbing materials and advanced jamming modes.
Remotely controlled attack drones of a new type, using data transmission channels with enhanced encryption from frequency hopping, should be able to enter the protected "sphere" and set the work to air defense systems without risking the lives of flight crews. Their excellent maneuverability with increased g-forces (up to +/-15 g!) allows them to remain somewhat invulnerable to manned interceptors…
Aside the philosophy of "deny access / block zone"
With two advanced stealth aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk and B-2 Spirit, presented with great fanfare and splurge, the first in 1988 and the second a decade later, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA and the US Air Force played an important role in in order for this new technology to be successfully implemented and demonstrated its advantages in combat conditions. Although the stealthy F-117 tactical strike aircraft has now been retired, some of the technological developments gained from the development of this unusual aircraft (which periodically became the object of indignation of zealous adherents of aesthetics) were applied to new projects, such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, and to an even greater extent in the promising bomber B-21 (LRS-B). One of the most secret programs that the United States is implementing is related to the further development of the UAV family using radar absorbing materials and modern technologies for actively providing extremely low visibility.
Building on UAV technology demonstration programs, the Boeing X-45 and Northrop Grumman X-47, whose accomplishments and results remain largely classified, Boeing's Phantom Works division and Northrop Grumman's secret division continue to develop attack drones today. A special mystery is shrouded in the RQ-180 UAV project, apparently being developed by Northrop Grumman. It is assumed that this platform will enter the closed airspace and conduct constant reconnaissance and surveillance, while simultaneously performing the tasks of active electronic suppression of enemy manned aircraft. A similar project is being implemented by the Skunks Works division of Lockheed Martin.
On development stage hypersonic vehicle The SR-72 addresses the issues of safe operation of reconnaissance UAVs in protected airspace, both through the use of its own speed and through advanced radar absorbing materials. Promising UAVs designed to break through modern (Russian) integrated air defense systems are also being developed by General Atomics; its new Avenger drone, also known as the Predator C, includes many innovative stealth elements. In fact, it is vital for the Pentagon today, as ever, to stay ahead of what Russia creates in order to maintain the current military imbalance in favor of Washington. And for the United States shock drone becomes one of the means of ensuring this process.
A Dassault Neuron drone returns to Istres Air Force Base from a night flight, 2014. Flight tests of the Neuron in France, as well as in Italy and Sweden in 2015, demonstrated its excellent flight and visibility characteristics, but all of them still remain classified. Armed drone Neuron is not the only European program to demonstrate UAV technology. BAE Systems is implementing the Taranis project, it has almost the same design and is equipped with the same RR Adour engine as the Neuron drone.
What the developers of American UAVs today call “protected airspace” is one of the components of the concept of “denial of access / blocking the zone” or a single (integrated) air defense system successfully deployed today by the Russian armed forces, both in Russia itself and abroad. its borders in order to provide cover for the expeditionary forces. No less smart and savvy than American military developers, albeit with significantly less money, Russian researchers from the Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Radio Engineering (NNIIRT) created a mobile two-coordinate radar station with a circular view of the meter range (from 30 MHz to 1 GHz) P-18 ( 1RL131) "Terek". The latest versions of this station, with their own specific frequency ranges, can detect F-117 and B-2 bombers from several hundred kilometers, and this remains no mystery to Pentagon experts!
A Taranis UAV at an air base in England, with a Typhoon fighter in the background, 2015. With almost the same size and proportions as Neuron, Taranis, however, is more rounded and does not have weapon bays.
Starting in 1975, NNIIRT developed the first three-coordinate radar station capable of measuring the height, range and azimuth of a target. As a result, the surveillance radar 55ZH6 "Sky" of the meter range appeared, the deliveries of which to the armed forces of the USSR began in 1986. Later, after the demise of the Warsaw Pact, NNIIRT designed the 55Zh6 Nebo-U radar, which became part of the S-400 Triumf long-range air defense system currently deployed around Moscow. In 2013, NNIIRT announced the next model 55Zh6M Nebo-M, in which VHF and UHF radars are combined in a single module.
With vast experience in developing high-end stealth target detection systems, the Russian industry is currently very active and offers new digital versions of the P-18 radar to its allies, which can often simultaneously perform the functions of an air traffic control radar. Also, Russian engineers have created new digital mobile radar systems "Sky UE" and "Sky SVU" on a modern element base, all with the ability to detect subtle targets. Similar complexes for the formation of unified air defense systems were later sold to China, while Beijing got at its disposal a good irritant for the US military.
The radar systems are expected to be deployed in Iran to defend against any Israeli attack on its fledgling nuclear industry. All new Russian radars are solid-state active phased array antennas capable of operating in fast sector/path scanning mode or traditional circular scanning mode with mechanically rotating antennas. The Russian idea of integrating three radars, each of which operates in a separate range (meter, decimeter, centimeter), is undoubtedly a breakthrough and is aimed at obtaining the possibility of detecting objects with extremely small signs of visibility.
Mobile two-coordinate all-round radar P-18
Meter radar module from the complex 55Zh6ME "Nebo-ME"
RLC 55ZH6M "Nebo-M"; decimeter radar module RLM-D
The Nebo-M radar system itself is radically different from previous Russian systems, since it has good mobility. Its design was originally designed to avoid unexpected blitz destruction by American F-22A Raptor fighters (armed with GBU-39 / B SDB bombs or JASSM cruise missiles), whose primary task is to destroy the low-frequency detection systems of the Russian air defense system in the first minutes of the conflict. The 55ZH6M Nebo-M mobile radar complex includes three different radar modules and one signal processing and control machine.
Three radar modules of the Nebo M complex are: RDM-M of the meter range, a modification of the Nebo-SVU radar; RLM-D decimeter range, modification of the radar "Opponent-G"; RLM-S centimeter range, modification of the Gamma-S1 radar. The system uses state-of-the-art digital moving target indicator and digital pulse-Doppler radar technologies, as well as a spatiotemporal data processing method, which provides air defense systems such as the S-300, S-400 and S-500 with amazingly fast response, accuracy and the power of action against all targets, except for subtle ones flying at extremely low altitudes.
As a reminder, one S-400 complex deployed by Russian troops in Syria was able to close a circular zone around Aleppo with a radius of about 400 km from allied aviation. The complex, armed with a combination of at least 48 missiles (from 40N6 long-range to 9M96 medium-range), is able to cope with 80 targets simultaneously ... In addition, it keeps Turkish F-16 fighters in good shape and keeps them from rash acts in the form attacks on the Su-24 in December 2015, since the zone controlled by the S-400 air defense system partially captures the southern border of Turkey.
For the United States, the research of the French company Onera, published in 1992, was a complete surprise. They talked about the development of a 4D (four-coordinate) RIAS radar (Synthetic Antenna and Impulse Radar - an antenna with a synthetic aperture of pulsed radiation), based on the use of a transmitting antenna array (simultaneous emission of a set of orthogonal signals) and a receiving antenna array (formation of a sampled signal in processing equipment signals providing Doppler frequency filtering, including spatiotemporal beamforming and target detection).
The 4D principle allows the use of fixed sparse antenna arrays operating in the meter band, thus providing excellent Doppler separation. The great advantage of low frequency RIAS is that it generates a stable, unreduced effective target area, provides a larger coverage area and better beam analysis, as well as improved localization accuracy and target selectivity. Enough to fight low-profile targets on the other side of the border...
China, the world champion in copying Western and Russian technologies, has made an excellent copy of the modern UAV, in which the external elements of the European Taranis and Neuron drones are well traced. First flown in 2013, Li-Jian (Sharp Sword) was developed jointly by Shenyang Aerospace University and Hongdu (HAIG). Obviously, this is one of two AVIC 601-S models that have moved beyond the show model. "Sharp Sword" with a wingspan of 7.5 meters has a jet engine (apparently, a turbofan of Ukrainian origin)
Creation of inconspicuous UAVs
Well-informed about a new effective access denial system that will counter Western manned aircraft in war time, the Pentagon stopped at the turn of the century on the creation of a new generation of stealth jet-powered flying wing attack drones. New unmanned aerial vehicles with a slight visibility, they will be similar in shape to a stingray, tailless with a body smoothly turning into wings. They will have a length of approximately 10 meters, a height of one meter and a wingspan of about 15 meters (the naval version is suitable for standard American aircraft carriers).
The drones will be able to either carry out surveillance missions lasting up to 12 hours or carry weapons weighing up to two tons for distances up to 650 nautical miles, cruising at a speed of about 450 knots, which is ideal for suppressing enemy air defenses or launching a first strike. A few years earlier, the US Air Force brilliantly paved the way for the use of armed drones. UAV RQ-1 Predator category MALE with piston engine, which first took off in 1994, became the first remotely controlled aerial platform capable of delivering air-to-ground weapons to the target with high accuracy. As a technologically advanced combat drone, armed with two AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles adopted by the Air Force in 1984, it has been successfully deployed in the Balkans, Iraq and Yemen, as well as Afghanistan. Undoubtedly vigilant sword of Damocles over the heads of terrorists around the world!
Developed with funds from the secret DARPA fund, the Boeing X-45A became the first “purely” strike drone to fly. He is pictured dropping a GPS-guided bomb for the first time in April 2004.
If Boeing was the first creator of the X-45 UAV capable of dropping a bomb, then the American fleet was not involved in practical work by UBLA until 2000. Then he issued contracts to Boeing and Northrop Grumman for a program to study this concept. The design requirements for a maritime UAV included operation in a corrosive environment, takeoff and landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier and related maintenance, integration into command and control systems, as well as resistance to high electromagnetic interference inherent in aircraft carrier operating conditions.
The fleet was also interested in purchasing UAVs for reconnaissance tasks, in particular, for penetrating into protected airspace in order to identify targets for subsequent attacks on them. Northrop Grumman's X-47A Pegasus, which became the basis for the development of the X-47B J-UCAS platform, first flew in 2003. The US Navy and Air Force ran their own UAV programs. The Navy selected the Northrop Grumman X-47B platform as the UCAS-D unmanned combat system demonstrator. In order to carry out realistic tests, the company manufactured a device of the same size and weight as the planned production platform, with a full-size weapons bay capable of accepting existing missiles.
The X-47B prototype was rolled out in December 2008, and taxiing with its own engine took place for the first time in January 2010. The first flight of the X-47B drone, capable of semi-autonomous operation, took place in 2011. Later, he took part in real sea trials aboard aircraft carriers, performing tasks together with F-18F Super Hornet carrier-based fighters and refueling in the air from the KS-707 tanker. What can I say, a successful premiere in both areas.
A demonstrator of the X-47B strike drone being unloaded from the side lift of the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN77), May 2013. Like all US Navy fighters, the X-47B has folding wings.
Bottom view of the UAV Northrop Grumman X-47B, demonstrating its very futuristic contours. The drone with a wingspan of about 19 meters is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan engine. It represents the first step towards a fully operational maritime attack drone, which is scheduled to appear on the list of regular aircraft after 2020.
While the American industry was already testing the first models of its UAVs with might and main, other countries, albeit with a ten-year delay, began to create similar systems. Among them are the Russian RAC "MiG" with the device "Skat" and the Chinese CATIC with a very similar "Dark Sword". In Europe, the British company BAE Systems went its own way with the Taranis project, while other countries joined forces to develop a project with the rather apt name nEUROn. In December 2012, nEUROn made its first flight in France. Flight tests for operating ranges and evaluating stealth characteristics were successfully completed in March 2015. These tests were followed by avionics tests in Italy, which were completed in August 2015. At the end of last summer, the last stage of flight tests took place in Sweden, within the framework of which tests were carried out on the use of weapons. Classified test results are called positive.
The contract for the nEUROn project worth 405 million euros is being implemented by several European countries, including France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. This allowed the European industry to begin a three-year phase of refining the concept and design of the system, with related research into visibility and data rate enhancement. This phase was followed by a development and assembly phase ending with first flight in 2011. In two years of flight testing, about 100 sorties were made, including the release of a laser-guided bomb. The initial budget of 400 million euros in 2006 increased by 5 million because a modular bomb bay was added, including a target designator and the laser-guided bomb itself. France at the same time paid half of the total budget.
With a pair of 250 kg bombs stowed in a modular bomb bay, a Neuron drone takes off from an airfield in Swedish Lapland, summer 2016. Then the capabilities of this UAV as a bomber were successfully assessed. You can see the rarely seen registration designation F-ZWLO (LO stands for small EPO) applied to the door of the front landing gear compartment
A 250 kg bomb dropped by a Neuron drone over a test site in Sweden in the summer of 2015. Five bombs were dropped, confirming Neuron's ability as a stealthy strike drone. Some of these real-life tests were carried out under the control of Saab, which, along with Dassault, Aiema, Airbus DS, Ruag and HAI, is implementing this advanced UAV program, which is likely to culminate in the creation of a promising air strike system FCAS (Future Combat Air System) around 2030
The potential of the British-French UAV
In November 2014, the governments of France and the UK announced a two-year study into the feasibility of a €146 million advanced strike drone project. This may lead to the implementation of a stealth UAV program, which will combine the experience of the Taranis and nEUROn projects in order to create a single promising strike drone. Indeed, in January 2014, at the British air base Brize Norton, Paris and London signed a statement of intent on a promising strike air system FCAS (Future Combat Air System).
Since 2010, Dassault Aviation, together with its partners Alenia, Saab and Airbus Defense & Space, has been working on the nEUROn project, and BAE Systems on its own Taranis project. Both flying wing craft are powered by the same Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan engine. The decision adopted in 2014 gives a new impetus to joint research already being implemented in this direction. It is also an important step towards British-French cooperation in the field of military aircraft construction. It is possible that it could become the basis for another first-class achievement like the Concorde aircraft project. This decision will undoubtedly contribute to the development of this strategic area, since UAV projects will help maintain technological experience in the aviation industry at the level of world standards.
Drawing of what could turn into a promising drum air system FCAS (Future Combat Air System). The project is being developed jointly by the UK and France based on the experience of implementing the Taranis and Neuron projects. New undetectable strike drone may not appear before 2030
Meanwhile, the European FCAS program and similar American UAV programs are facing certain difficulties, since defense budgets on both sides of the Atlantic are quite tight. It will take more than 10 years before stealth UAVs begin to take over from manned combat aircraft, performing related high risk tasks. Experts in the field of military unmanned systems are confident that air Force will begin to deploy inconspicuous attack drones no earlier than 2030.
Combat robots are being intensively introduced into both the air, sea and land branches of the armed forces. The most widespread are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, which are controlled remotely or autonomously.
Description of Russian drones
Russian drones in their appearance resemble an airplane or a helicopter. They have different sizes - from tens of meters to several centimeters. Unmanned aircraft are capable of performing all sorts of military and civilian tasks.
Military drones are used for reconnaissance.
There are also unmanned fighter planes for air strikes.
Drones can run on aviation fuel, and on an electric battery. Built on the principle of a helicopter, they are called copters, multicopters, or quadrocopters, depending on the number of propellers.
The history of the development of military drones
The first military drone appeared in America in 1910. Under the control of a clockwork, the aircraft with the warhead fell on the object. But the idea did not find application.
1933 is considered the year of the birth of the UAV, the first samples of which were made by Great Britain. Combat drones were reusable, radio-controlled and served until 1943. They were used as targets for anti-aircraft gunners and fighters.
this year the first drone appeared in America
In World War II, Germany successfully used the V-1 and V-2 guided missiles.
In the United States, at the same time, its own version of the UAV was developed. It was an Interstate TDR-1 light, twin-engine military bomber made from plywood and bicycle tubing. The aircraft had poor flight characteristics. The control was carried out by radio from the side of an aircraft flying nearby, through a television camera located in the forward part of the drone's fuselage. More than 180 pieces were released.
In 1960, after the experience of the Vietnamese and other local wars, the Pentagon began to intensively develop the drone program. At first, these were light reconnaissance aircraft, and then strike options began to be developed, which were used in many local conflicts.
In the Soviet Union, similar tools were also being developed, but they remained on paper. They resumed in 1957. The first Soviet unmanned strike complex was called Izdeliye-S. The idea belonged to the designer A.N. Tupolev.
A year later, an object was created that could deliver a nuclear charge to a distance of up to 10,000 km. However, the interests of the country's leadership were directed to the creation of rocket technology. For this and a number of other reasons, this promising direction was frozen for several years.
Characteristics of Russian aircraft
It should be noted that Russian military drones are created primarily for self-defense and only then for retaliation. Foreign analogues have other priorities - the vast majority of drones are shock drones.
I123K (Tu-123)
In 1964, the Yastreb supersonic complex was created, which carried out long-range reconnaissance. It was named I123K (Tu-123).
performance characteristics
From 1964 to 1972, 52 UAVs were manufactured. Russian military drones were immune to detection by a potential enemy. Aviation complex intelligence with similar parameters the United States created in 10 years. But the American unmanned reconnaissance aircraft was manned.
Russian drone TU-143 REYS
In 1973, this Russian drone was put into service.
Tupolev's drones were unique in that, thanks to the use of composite materials, they were almost invisible on radar.
Tu-141 Strizh
The next development was the Tu-141 Strizh complex.
On board was a large arsenal of equipment, which allowed for 5 types of reconnaissance. In terms of its characteristics, it surpassed the previous analogue "Flight".
- speed - 1100 km / h;
- range - 500 km;
- height - 50-6000 m.
Since 1982, the production of remote-controlled unmanned vehicles began. The need was caused by the effective work of Israeli counterparts in the conflict with the Arabs. The advantage of controlled UAVs is the ability to quickly change the flight program and perform assigned tasks.
Bee-1T
One of the first in 1997 was adopted by the PCHELA-1T complex. It consisted of self-propelled unit, control center and aircraft.
UAV SKAT
The new drone was developed in 2007. This is a fairly powerful aircraft with a wingspan of 11.5 m and a takeoff weight of 20,000 kg.
TTX drone-drone
The unmanned drone was not accepted into service due to lack of funding. However, work on its implementation continues.
Unmanned combat aircraft in service with Russia
Currently, Russian UAVs in service with army units are used very effectively. The new Russian drones carry out both reconnaissance and strike functions.
Complex ORION
Development began in 2011. The military drone is designed for reconnaissance and informing units in order to analyze the results of strikes.
Multi-purpose complex
The year of entry into the troops is 2010. Military drones are designed to control hard-to-reach areas of the terrain, conduct rescue work. From the command post, it is possible to simultaneously control 4 devices.
Complexes Eleron-3 and Eleron-10
Russian unmanned aerial vehicles were developed by ENIKS. Complexes Eleron-3 and Eleron-10 are designed to conduct various types of covert reconnaissance. Unmanned aerial vehicles have been used in practice and have proven themselves well.
UAVs of the USA and other countries
Of the many foreign drone aircraft, we list some of the most famous and common heavy reconnaissance and strike options. The characteristics of U.S. drones are considered the best in the world.
USA production. It is the largest aircraft of this class. The first copy appeared in 2004. Has many modifications. In 2003, the Pentagon funded a program to modernize the device to increase the flight time to several months.
US development. It is in service with Great Britain, Italy and Turkey. The first flight took place in 2001. Used in Afghanistan for the purpose of delivering missile strikes.
Production Israel. The first product appeared on October 18, 1994. It can carry out reconnaissance of the terrain and air targets. Accompanies up to 6 objects simultaneously. It is in service with 13 countries.
Production Israel. In December 2009, the first flight of the multipurpose vehicle took place. Has satellite navigation. It can be equipped with various warheads. In service with 7 countries.
Made in Italy. The product made its first flight in 2013. Today it is considered the largest product of this type in Europe.
Made in France. Produced since 2009. Designed for army, naval and civilian purposes. Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft are equipped with multifunctional highly intelligent equipment.
Anka
Anka Production Turkey. Drones have been produced since 2010. They have reconnaissance and strike modifications.
Unmanned fighter aircraft developed in India. The first sample was released in 2010. Able to fly on a given route independently.
Advantages and disadvantages of drones
Let us briefly define the advantages and disadvantages of unmanned aerial vehicles in relation to manned aircraft.
Advantages:
- low cost, subject to equal efficiency of the tasks performed;
- lack of pilots, which reduces the risk of death of personnel, and funds for training;
- fuel economy;
- low weight, allowing the use of electric motors;
- a significant reduction in takeoff and landing space;
- high efficiency of application;
- secrecy of use due to small size and the use of synthetic materials in the manufacture of the case.
Disadvantages:
- slowness;
- imperfection of radio control;
- vulnerability to jamming;
- the risk of harming civilians;
- high probability of destruction by means of air defense;
- landing accident.
The inability of a person to withstand large long-term loads, necessitates the further spread of unmanned vehicles.
Currently, the development of devices with atomic and hydrogen fuel cells is underway, which can be in flight for up to several months.
Unfortunately, UAVs serve people not only for peaceful purposes. At present, every developed nation has an arsenal of such deadly devices.
Let's find out what samples of such "toys" Russia and the USA have. The question is relevant, because, in my humble opinion, all subsequent wars will be fought with the active use of the latter.
Because a tank is a bulky metal coffin, airplanes are already better, but much more expensive, and drones “multiply” quickly, cost less and operate no less efficiently.
At least scouting the area, at least dropping a bomb on some Venezuelan, at least delivering mail - a universal contraption, in general.
So, what is in the bins of our glorious Motherland.
Pchela-1T
A pioneer developed by Soviet craftsmen in 1990, this UAV is still serving in the RF Armed Forces. It does not have a shock “sting”, it is used only for reconnaissance purposes.
Weight - 138 kg, speed - 180 km / h, range - 60 km.
Stork
Reconnaissance and strike UAV, which is currently only being tested.
Weight - 500 kg, speed - 250 km / h, range - 500 km.
ZALA 421-08
Ultra-small drone. Designed for observation, target designation, fire adjustment, damage assessment. Effective for aerial photography and video shooting at a short distance.
Weight - 2.5 kg, speed - 120 km / h, range - 10 km.
Orlan-3M
Another scout capable of aerial photography and video filming. The modular design allows you to quickly change the type of equipment that the UAV carries.
Weight - 7 kg, speed - 150 km / h, range - 100 km.
Calm-3
An experimental model of a turbojet UAV designed for reconnaissance, aerial photography, radio signal relaying and jamming. It can conduct radiation and gas chemical monitoring, assess the state of infrastructure, etc. Able to hover in the air like a helicopter.
Weight - 17.6 kg, speed - 780 km / h, range - 500 km.
tipchak
This name is given to the complex for aerial reconnaissance and aerial photography of the area. The drone directly included in its composition is called BLA-08.
Weight - 90 kg, speed - 180 km / h, range - 120 km.
Corsair
Combat UAV made of composite materials. It can be used both for reconnaissance and electronic warfare, and for air strikes.
Weight - 200 kg, speed - 150 km / h, range - 180 km.
Dozor-85 and Dozor-600
The name of the UAV (Dozor-85) hints that we have a scout in front of us. And it is. The device has been mass-produced since 2007. It can be controlled automatically by the program or manually by the operator from the command post.
Weighs 85 kg, accelerates to 150 km / h, range - 900 km.
His descendant "Dozor-600" is able not only to conduct reconnaissance, but also to destroy enemies with missiles. True, so far in theory: he has not yet entered service.
Weight - 640 kg, speed - 210 km / h, range - 3700 km.
Tu-300 "Korshun-U"
Another Soviet development that can serve both for reconnaissance (Filin-1 modification) and relaying radio signals (Filin 2), as well as for destroying ground targets.
A very serious bird weighing 3 tons, speed - 940 km / h and range - 300 km.
Orion
It did not enter service, it is currently being tested. The device is designed for visual, radar or electronic intelligence with the possibility of long patrols in a given area. The developers mentioned the possibility of modifying it into a strike UAV.
There are only characteristics of the export version (they are always lower) called "Orion-E". Weight - 1.2 tons, speed - 200 km / h, flight range - 250 km.
Inspector-601 (301,201,101)
The line of drones "Inspector" is mainly intended for reconnaissance. However, the 601 model is an exception: it serves to solve reconnaissance, transport and strike tasks.
Weight - 120 kg, speed - 210 km / h, flight range - 900 km.
Outpost M
Impact drone, which was successfully used in Syria. It is assembled from Israeli components, by 2019 it is planned to switch to domestic components.
Weight - 436 kg, speed - 200 km / h, range - 250 km.
Altair
Reconnaissance and strike UAV. Currently being tested. In addition to the combat version, a civilian one is being developed - with a larger carrying capacity.
Weight - 5 tons, in, speed - 250 km / h, flight range - 10,000 km.
Dan-Baruq
Multi-purpose military UAV. It is capable of performing observation, patrol and monitoring tasks, as well as inflicting high-precision strikes on enemy armored vehicles and manpower.
Weight - 500 kg, speed - 300 km / h, range - 150 km.
Hunter-B
The pinnacle of Russian engineering, this 6th generation UAV should be the "killer of American F-22s and F-35s." This is the most advanced and technically advanced drone in the world (according to the creators, of course). Capable of carrying a bomb load corresponding to a standard fighter-bomber.
The device is under development, it will be in service presumably in 2020. Weight - 20 tons, speed -1000 km / h.
And what about the Yankees?
SQ-4 Recon
Miniature helicopter-type drone. It has established itself not only as a scout, but also as a device for rescuing and withdrawing American soldiers from encirclement (it was actively used during the fighting in Afghanistan).
The baby weighs only 200 g, speed - 25 km / h, range - 2.5 km.
RQ-11 Raven
Small reconnaissance UAV, which is available in several modifications and can fly both automatically using GPS and under the manual control of an operator.
Weight - 1.7 kg, speed - 95 km / h, range - 10 km.
WaspAE
A small reconnaissance aircraft that can be launched "by hand" and can land both on land and on the water surface.
Weight - 1.3 kg, speed - 83 km / h, range - 10 km.
Stalker
Reconnaissance UAV, which is constantly being improved. Manufacturing company Lockheed Martin is experimenting with converting a drone to a laser-powered type, which, in theory, could make it fly almost “eternally (without charging landings).
Weight - 6 kg, speed - 80 km / h, range - 20 km.
RQ-170 Sentinel
One of the most advanced reconnaissance drones, created using stealth technology. Information about TTX is classified.
MQ-8 Fire Scout
A helicopter-type drone that, using infrared scanners and laser equipment, can find and identify given targets, as well as rank them depending on their importance. And then destroy with high-precision Hellfire missiles.
Weight - 1.43 tons, speed - 205 km / h, range - 177 km.
RQ-7A Shadow
A reconnaissance drone that has several modifications (200, 440, 600), which differ from each other in the field of application. In addition to reconnaissance, it is capable of carrying the STM Phase II winged guided bomb.
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