The troops will receive attack drones. Heavy attack drone "Zenitsa", also known as "Altair Strike drone Zenitsa"

State tests of a new Russian heavy attack drone could begin as early as next year. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Borisov during a visit to the Kazan Design Bureau named after Simonov. As it appears, we're talking about about the first Russian heavy attack drone “Zenitsa”.

This drone was developed in Kazan and made its first flight back in 2014. Out now prototype, which takes into account all the experimental data obtained during preliminary tests. It is he, as Borisov expects, who will enter state testing next year. The Deputy Minister is confident that the tests will take place in a short time and will fully confirm that the designers have fulfilled the technical specifications. That is, purchases by the Zenitsa army are expected already in 2018. It is assumed that at first the serial production of the drone can reach 250 units.

We have been talking about attack drones for a long time. Without them in service, we spent a long time and energetically “exposing” the American Predator. It is supposedly an extremely indiscriminate weapon, firing missiles at both foot and horse and personnel, and on enemy military equipment, and on civilians.

However, already at that time, energetic work was underway in our own state design bureaus and private firms to create the first Russian analogues"Predator". From time to time, reports appeared that some developer was already two steps away from transferring unmanned manpower fighters and armored vehicles for state testing.

Most of all, they talked about Dozor-600, created by the Kronstadt company since the middle of the last decade. The prototype made its first flight in 2009. Since then, information has periodically appeared that a little more and... In 2013, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu demanded that the progress of work be accelerated. But at the moment this makes little sense. Because Dozor-600 is yesterday’s unmanned aircraft. Its payload is only 120 kg. The American veteran Predator, which has been in operation since the last century, has a weight of 204 kg. And the modern Reaper has 1700 kg. True, the developers insist that Dozor-600 is not only attack drone, but also reconnaissance. However, our army already has quite enough unmanned reconnaissance aircraft for every taste.

Kronstadt has another development. And it was carried out jointly with the aforementioned Kazan Design Bureau named after. Simonova. This is the "Pacer", which is both more impressive than the "Dozor-600" and has a higher readiness. A year ago, information appeared that tests of the “Pacer” had begun at the Gromov Flight Research Institute. Nothing is known about the prospects for its adoption. And this is not surprising, since he was also very late in his birth. This is perfectly illustrated by a comparison of the main performance characteristics of the “Pacer” and the American “Predator”, which was put into service in 1995.

Flight characteristics of the Predator and Pacer UAVs

Maximum take-off weight, kg: 1020 - 1200

Payload weight, kg: 204 - 300 Engine type: piston - piston

Maximum flight altitude, m: 7900 - 8000

Maximum speed, km/h: 215 - presumably 210 Cruising speed, km/h: 130 - presumably 120−150 Flight duration, hours: 40 - 24 Although, of course, light attack drones, which include the “Pacer,” have their niche in the army. They do an excellent job of solving anti-terrorist tasks of eliminating “particularly outstanding” militants. It is this path that Israel is following, creating compact drones armed with one or two short-range missiles with precise targeting.

OKB im. Simonova attacks the problem of creating a domestic strike drone on a broad front, not limiting herself to the development of two topics. In this case, all developments are brought to the stage of at least the production of prototypes. Big hopes Simonov's team associated it with a middle-class Altair drone - weighing up to 5 tons.

Altair made its first flight at the end of last year. However, it turned out that the creation of a fully functional sample is still far away. The OKB is constantly and quite radically refining its brainchild. So, instead of the stated 5 tons, the drone began to weigh 7 tons. And according to the technical specifications, it was assumed that it would have a payload mass of about two tons, and a ceiling of 12 km. The maximum flight time is 48 hours. In this case, the drone must have a stable connection with the control complex at a distance of up to 450 km without the use of satellite channels.

Other characteristics are classified. But from what is known, it can be assumed that Altair should be at least no worse than the American Reper. Its ceiling is slightly lower, but the flight duration is significantly longer - 48 hours versus 28 hours.

When the development amount exceeded 2 billion rubles, the Ministry of Defense decided to reduce funding. At the same time, Altair was given a chance - by proposing to create a civilian modification for monitoring Arctic regions, so that civilian structures would co-finance the project.

Kazan residents, if they receive additional sources of funding, intend to complete the development of Altair in 2019 and introduce the drone into mass production in 2020. The decision to cut funding was made two weeks ago.

Upon careful study of the question of how many heavy attack drones the OKB im. Simonov, there is a suspicion (based on facts) that they are trying to present us with one product under the guise of another.

Firstly, Yuri Borisov, while in Kazan, said that the Simonov Design Bureau won a competition for the development of a heavy drone several years ago in a difficult competition. However, we know for certain that in the tender the Simonov team won the right to create the Altair, and not the Zenitsa. The cost of the tender is also known - 1.6 billion rubles.

Secondly, Zenitsa is not a heavy drone; its take-off weight is 1080 kg. And, therefore, the payload cannot in any way exceed a quarter of a ton. It is known that it was developed on the basis of the Soviet Tu-143 “Flight” drone, which was put into service back in 1982. The characteristics, of course, have been significantly improved today. For example, the ceiling increased from 1000 m to 9000 m, and the flight range - from 180 km to 750 km. But, of course, this became possible due to a significant increase in fuel mass, which did not benefit the payload. So the 250 kg we estimate may turn out to be too much for Zenitsa.

Flight characteristics of the UAV "Zenitsa"

Length - 7.5 m.

Wingspan - 2 m.

However, soon funding for the project ceased due to the policy of then Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to purchase high-tech weapons for the army abroad.

The terms of reference for the “Hunter” were approved by the Ministry of Defense in 2012. Its details have not been disclosed. The drone will be built on a modular basis, which will allow it to be used to solve a wide range of tasks. The developers were determined to begin testing the prototype in 2016 and transfer it to the army in 2020. However, as usual, the deadlines have slipped. The year before last, the first flight of the prototype was postponed to 2018.

Since nothing is known about the flight characteristics of the Okhotnik, we present the characteristics of the Skat UAV. Logically, the Hunter’s performance should be at least as good.

Length - 10.25 m Wing span - 11.5 m Height - 2.7 m Maximum take-off weight - 20000 kg TRD engine thrust - 5040 kgf Maximum speed - 850 km/h Flight range - 4000 km Service ceiling - 15000 m Combat load - 6000 kg.

Sukhoi and Simonov Design Bureau create attack drones long range/ Photo: tvzvezda.ru

United design department Simonova (formerly Sokol Design Bureau) and the Sukhoi holding are conducting development and design work (R&D) to create medium- and long-range strike unmanned aerial vehicles "Zenitsa" and "Okhotnik-U", the declared speed of which will be 800 kilometers per hour, a source in the military-industrial complex told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

Currently, the Russian Aerospace Forces do not have attack drones. The troops use only light short-range drones as reconnaissance and target designators. In particular, UAVs are used in Syria.

"Currently, the Simonov Design Bureau is conducting research and development work on creating an attack drone medium range"Zenitsa" at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour. In parallel, Sukhoi is developing a long-range strike UAV with a similar speed to the Okhotnik-U,” he said.

The agency's interlocutor explained that the Zenitsa drone, which will be launched from an aircraft, is designed on the basis of the Tu-143 Reis reconnaissance UAV, weighing more than one ton, developed back in the 1980s by the Tupolev Design Bureau. In turn, the Okhotnik-U project will be made in the form of a flying wing (“flying saucer”) launched from the ground.

Earlier, the former head of the United Aircraft Corporation, Mikhail Pogosyan, told reporters that the drone, later named Okhotnik-U, should be created before 2020 and have a take-off weight of 20 tons.

"Okhotnik-U" produced by Sukhoi Design Bureau / Photo: img-fotki.yandex.ru

reference Information

Heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicle project. The development of the research project “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 complex should have been the first working together relevant units of the Sukhoi and MiG Design Bureaus (project Skat). 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.

"Okhotnik-U" / Photo: img-fotki.yandex.ru

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 attack 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.

On October 3, 2013, the media reported that the first sample of a heavy strike UAV from the Sukhoi Design Bureau will be ready in 2018. On May 30, 2014, Deputy Chairman of the Military-Industrial Complex under the Government of Russia Oleg Bochkarev confirmed that the first flight of the UAV is expected in 2018

SHOCK DRONE “ZENICA” MEDIUM-RANGE

13.12.2015


An attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that flies at speeds of up to 800 km/h is being tested in Russia. A source in the Russian military-industrial complex reported this to TASS on Saturday.
“A drone is currently being tested that can perform both reconnaissance and strike functions. Its speed will be up to 800 km/h. The tests are close to completion,” the agency’s source said.
The payload of this device will be approximately 250 kg, the source noted.
At the final board meeting of the military department, which took place the day before, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the experience of performing combat missions in Syria showed that UAVs are indispensable during combat operations.
“If in 2011 the Armed Forces had only 180 systems, now we have 1,720 modern UAVs,” he noted.
The newest attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being tested in Russia can be armed with air-to-surface guided missiles. This opinion was expressed on Saturday Chief Editor magazine "National Defense" Igor Korotchenko.
TASS

08.06.2017


The new heavy attack drone of the Russian Federation may enter state tests in 2018, said Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Yuri Borisov during a visit to the Simonov Experimental Design Bureau.
“Having gone through the development stage of an experimental model, they took this model into the air, and now they have a prototype at the output. I think that during this and next year they will complete this work, enter state tests, and the Russian army will have new class unmanned aerial vehicle,” Borisov said.
According to him, several years ago the company, in a difficult competition, won a competition to develop a heavy drone.
“We will consider the issue of public procurement from 2018. We are ready to buy the Zenitsa drone in 2018, and if state tests are completed in 2018, we will also buy a heavy drone. They are not inferior in their characteristics to those models that are currently in service with the armies of the world,” Borisov added.
TASS

MEDIUM-RANGE IMPACT UNMANNED VEHICLE "ZENITSA"

The Simonov United Design Bureau (formerly the Sokol Design Bureau) and the Sukhoi holding are conducting R&D to create medium- and long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicles Zenitsa and Okhotnik-U, RIA Novosti reports, citing a source in the defense industry.
“Currently, the Simonov Design Bureau is conducting research and development work on the creation of a medium-range strike UAV “Zenitsa”, the speed of which will be 800 km/h. In parallel, Sukhoi is developing a long-range strike UAV with a similar speed to the Okhotnik-U,” the agency’s source said.
According to him, the Zenitsa UAV, which will be launched from an aircraft, is being designed on the basis of the Tu-143 Reis reconnaissance UAV, weighing more than one ton, developed back in the 1980s by the Tupolev Design Bureau. In turn, the Okhotnik-U UAV will be made in the form of a flying wing launched from the ground.
Earlier, the former head of the United Aircraft Corporation, Mikhail Pogosyan, told reporters that the drone, later named Okhotnik-U, should be created before 2020 and have a take-off weight of 20 tons, the agency recalls.

Russia is restoring the missing link in the Aerospace Forces system

In 2016, the Russian army will begin to receive new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of covering ultra-long distances. In particular, the devices will go to the unmanned aviation units of the Eastern Military District. Earlier, information appeared in the media that in 2016, promising UAVs capable of traveling up to a thousand kilometers will be adopted.

Experts suggest that we are talking about heavy strike systems weighing from about 1 to 20 tons. Heavy vehicles can carry several bombs and even air-to-ground missiles on board. At the moment the drums and promising devices, capable of performing long-distance reconnaissance, Russian army No.

The Russian military-industrial complex began work on creating such drones in the mid-2000s, but under Anatoly Serdyukov, the work was limited to demonstrating prototypes or trying to buy UAVs from Israel. It is planned to completely fill the missing link in the system of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation by 2020.

"Hunter", "Pacer" and "Altius-M"

In January 2015, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov announced that Russia had created a heavy UAV capable of conducting reconnaissance and destroying targets. Performance characteristics the device is kept secret. According to media reports, Sukhoi Design Bureau (Moscow), Sokol Design Bureau (Kazan) and Transas Aviation CJSC (St. Petersburg) are working on the heavy drone project.

At the beginning of October 2011, in the Ministry of Defense competition for the creation of UAVs weighing up to 1 ton, the “Pacer” project won, and the “Altius-M” project, up to 5 tons, won. An attack UAV weighing up to 20 tons is being developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau based on the Skat project, which has been developed by RSK MiG since 2005. New project received the name "Hunter".

According to unconfirmed reports, the Okhotnik will also be a sixth-generation fighter. Its first flight is expected in 2018, and entry into service in 2020. Like the Stingray, the new drone will take the form of a flying wing (the so-called “flying saucer”).

Simultaneously with the Okhotnik, Sukhoi is conducting development work to create a medium-range vehicle, the Zenitsa, whose speed will be 800 kilometers per hour. Presumably, this UAV is created on the basis of the Tu-143 “Flight” developed in the 1970s, which is designed to conduct tactical reconnaissance in the front line.

Another project of the Russian Aerospace Forces is Dozor-600, which belongs to the class of heavy medium-altitude drones with a long flight duration. Experts suggest that the device is a direct analogue of the American MQ-1 Predator. Despite the fact that Dozor-600 weighs 720 kg, it is capable of performing the functions of an attack UAV.

Russia is catching up with the USA

The range of applications for unmanned aircraft is extremely wide, but special meaning it has in the modern theater of war. Operating aircraft is more expensive, and their flight involves a risk to the life of the pilot: enemy air defense and air forces are not asleep, and anything can happen in the sky.

Therefore, a reconnaissance and attack drone is an excellent assistant to combat aviation and ground forces. In the future, drones will be able to carry out the most risky missions that are now afraid to send aircraft, ground reconnaissance and special forces.

The Russian Ministry of Defense realized the importance of UAVs for the effectiveness of the armed forces after the conflict with Georgia in August 2008, in which the enemy quite successfully used Israeli-made systems. Initially, it was decided to eliminate the backlog in the field of UAVs by importing devices from Israel Aerospace Industries.

Model of the UAV "Altius-M". Photo: Marat Khusainov / prav.tatarstan.ru

However, the practice of purchasing foreign equipment, which Serdyukov widely used, was soon discontinued. The Israeli side, after supplying Russia with small and medium UAVs Bird-Eye-400, I-View and Sercher Mk.2, refused to sell the more popular heavy unmanned systems.

In 2012, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced that the Russian army would have its own attack UAV, which would not be inferior to its American counterpart. The massive supply of drones to the Russian armed forces began already in 2013. So far, the Russian Aerospace Forces are armed with short- and medium-range drones (mainly Orlan, Reis, Strizh).

Only the United States and Israel have full-fledged attack unmanned aircraft. Russia, together with China, is on the list of catching up countries. In the USSR, drones began to be created in the 1950s. UAVs were mainly used in the interests of the GRU. These were small-sized supersonic high-altitude vehicles, distinguished by high technology for their time. In addition, in the USSR, UAVs were actively used as “target aircraft” for training fighter aircraft and training firing from anti-aircraft installations.

Attack UAVs to help Syria

In a conversation with Russian Planet, the founder of the Military Russia portal, Dmitry Kornev, noted that the West realized the possibility of wider use of UAVs a little earlier. In the Soviet Union, the “boom” for drones occurred later - in the mid-1980s. During this period, the Yakovlev Design Bureau created the Shmel-1 apparatus, which was advanced at that time.

“With the collapse of the USSR, development and production work was naturally stopped. Enterprises oriented towards the Ministry of Defense did not create drones, since there was no order, and private manufacturers in the Russian Federation appeared only in the late 1990s - early 2000s,” Kornev stated.

The liquidation of the USSR led to the degradation of the military-industrial complex and, as a consequence, unmanned aircraft. Russia missed the key trend in the UAV field - the move away from miniaturization towards the creation of heavy drones. During the difficult period in our country, sectors so important for the development of promising UAVs, such as microelectronics and robotics, sank greatly. Also, the Russian defense industry has problems with software development and operating systems necessary for the operation of drones.

Dmitry Kornev believes that the Ministry of Defense has learned lessons, and necessary work are already coming. One of the options for additional stimulation of the UAV industry, according to the expert, could be government investment in commercial production, since the universality of the functions of reconnaissance drones does not imply special regime secrecy.

An air operation in Syria could be an excellent “testing ground” for testing attack drones in combat. Currently, only reconnaissance drones perform missions in the Syrian skies. Taking into account the plans announced by the Ministry of Defense, we can expect that in 2016, heavy drones will be used in the Syrian operation. The need for attack UAVs to enter service with the Aerospace Forces as soon as possible is once again evidenced by the tragic incident with the Su-24M.