"Orlan-30", "Orion", unique "Merlin-BP" and 10 more drones that Russia uses in the war against Ukraine
Recently we published a short article about drones used by the Ukrainian army in the war against Russia. Here we will focus on Russian drones. Looking ahead, we note that the Russian UAV fleet is much more modest and includes slightly more than a dozen models.
KBLA IVC
In April, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down a KBLA IVC drone. It was developed in 2019 by the Russian company Technodinamika. It weighs more than 300 kg and is most often used as an aerial target for testing missiles and other weapons. The UAV can keep in the air for up to an hour.
"Orion"
"Orion" is a medium-altitude drone with battery life up to 24 hours, which Russia uses mainly for reconnaissance and strike missions. It resembles the American Predator UAVs in appearance. The Russian drone first flew six years ago. It has speed over 180 km/h and can carry an anti-tank missile X-50. The Russian Defense Ministry has reported the UAV's use in the war, but it is not known how many drones flew into Ukraine.
"Forpost"
Israel sold Russia a license for the Searcher II drone in 2010. The Russian version of the drone was named "Forpost." It can fly for 18 hours and cover a distance of 250 km. The Ukrainian military shot down one such UAV in early July.
"Rubezh-20"
"Rubezh-20" is another relatively new drone in Russia. It walks as part of the Granta-4 unmanned aerial system. The radius of action of the UAV is 100 km. The unit has a speed of up to 140 km/h and can travel at an altitude of up to 4 km.
ZALA 421-16E5
ZALA 421-16E5 is a Russian fixed-wing drone. It is designed to inspect pipelines, power lines and other industrial infrastructure. Russian media report that the army uses it for fire correction. The flight time is 6 hours, and the maximum speed is about 120 km/h.
"Orlan-10"
"Orlan-10" is one of the most popular drones of the Russian army. We will not write much about it, because there is large material, which describes the drone in detail.
"Orlan-30"
"Orlan-30" is a more interesting model than "Orlan-10". The drone is described here in detail.
"Merlin-BR"
"Merlin-BR" was unveiled in the fall of 2021. The Russian Federation claimed that the drone was a "unique solution" and a "technological breakthrough." The drone was shot down by the Ukrainian military a few days ago. It is not known how many such UAVs Russia uses. It is possible that this one is the only one.
E95
The Russian E95 is an aerial target drone that is used during exercises. Externally, the drone is similar to the V1 Doodlebug from World War II, both in layout and power. The UAV can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h and has a flight time of 30 minutes.
"Zastava"
"Zastava" is another product of cooperation between Russia and Israel, like "Forpost". The drone is used for aerial reconnaissance and fire correction. The maximum speed is 120 km/h. The drone is launched from a manual catapult.
"Tachyon"
The "Tachyon" drone was announced in 2012, but made its first flight only three years later. The drone is launched using a catapult and lands by parachute. The UAV is equipped with an electric engine, which provides a maximum flight speed of 120 km/h. The drone can stay in the air for 2 hours.
"Eleron-3"
"Eleron-3" was developed by ENICS in 2005. Deployment of the complex takes no more than 10 minutes. Eleron-3" operating time is 100 minutes. Operating range is 3 km. The maximum speed is 130 km/hour.
Zala Kub-BLA
Zala Kub-BLA is one of the newest Russian drones. It was introduced in 2019 by a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov Group. The drone can accelerate to almost 130 km/h. It is used for reconnaissance and as a barraging munition, due to the presence of a warhead weighing 3 kg. After launching, the drone can search and engage the target itself.
In conclusion, we note that we did not mention consumer drones. It is silly to deny that the Russian army uses quadcopters DJI or homemade drones. However, from the remnants that fall to the ground after the destruction of the UAV, it is difficult to tell exactly which model was used.
For those who want to know more:
- Russians showed what was left of the Serna boat after hitting it with Bayraktar TB2
- Ukrainian sappers will receive a batch of TALON robots to clear territories
- Lithuania bought six advanced EOS C VTOL drones for Ukraine and named them "Magila" - they will help send occupiers to the grave
- Russian occupier stole TV, mounted it on a tank and went on the offensive
- AFU showed the operation of French CAESAR SAU and explained in detail how to use them