Russia: Heavy Turbojet UAV Able to Fly at 950 KM/H

A heavy turbojet UAV under development by Russian designers will be able to fly at least twice as fast as its propeller-driven analogues, said a source in the defense-industrial complex.

The preliminary contract to design the new-generation UAV was granted to the SDB (Simonov Design Bureau) in Kazan. The SDB is currently working on the Altair heavy UAV developed as part of the Altius Project.

It is a medium-altitude craft with an extended flight range of up to 48 hours. The UAV will have a takeoff weight of around 5 tons and a maximum speed of up to 950 km/h.

“Even though this is only a preliminary project we are talking about, with sufficient financing the designers would be able to land an additional contract to bring their work up to a new level,” Denis Fedutinov, a leading expert in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, told RIA.

He added that while the Altair drone brings to mind the US-made Reaper, the new UAV could be compared with the Avenger unmanned combat air vehicle built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the US military.

Belarus creates anti-UAV regiment

The Belarussian armed forces have created an anti-UAV regiment armed with the latest variant of Russian Tor-M2 system, Belarussian Air Force and Air Defense Commander Igor Golub said.

This variant of Tor-M2, able to engage a target at the range from 1.000 to 12.000 m and to an altitude from 10 to 10.000 m, features improved fire control radar coverage, and four guidance channels, allowing up to four missiles to be guided at any one time.

The system is specially designed to attack UAVs, as well as aircrafts, helicopters, guided missiles and other components of high precision weapons flying at medium, low and extremely low altitudes in adverse air and jamming environment.

Russian military will receive Svarog's VR helmet to control UAVs

Despite its cumbersome appearance, the device weighs 400 g, which is a standard weight of the current VR helmets.

"Now the Svarog is under trial and will be delivered to the Ministry of Defense as soon as possible during this year," Alexei Pechkin, a researcher at Mari State University, told the Izvestia newspaper. "We continue to improve the helmet and experiment with the characteristics of its lenses, but even now the resolution of the screen is twice that of its foreign rivals, while the angle of vision of Svarog is limited by the user's natural field of vision ".

The device has a set of sensors to measure the position of the eyes and the inclination of the head: The operator can vary the altitude of the UAV by raising or lowering his head as well as change the direction of the flight by moving only his eyes to a point of interest.

"Using a VR device to control an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft has many advantages over the traditional display and the joystick," says Maxim Chizhov, a VR expert. "An updated VR helmet gives the UAV operator a more realistic picture of the battlefield, allowing for faster decision making and more effective drone control at high speed."

The Face of the Bubbling Armed UAV Industry

The extensive use of UAVs by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised debates over issues like civilian deaths, international law, efficacy of strikes and deterrence.

The Israeli Air Force used a weaponized drone, the Pioneer, in the 1982 war in Lebanon which impressed US for increased UAV procurement and research. Nineteen years after, the 9\11 terrorist attack created a new demand to hunt down terrorists in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Today, the US uses three types of drones built by General Atomics with offensive capabilities: the MQ-1 Predator, the MQ-1C Sky Warrior, and the MQ-9 Reaper. The US military uses them in two broad ways: Reconnaissance and hunter-killer missions.

Drone surveillance and attack capabilities have been effective psychologically as fear keeps also plays a major part. While drone attacks are the most effective weapon against terrorism, its net effects are difficult to judge. The presence of armed drones is a reality of the modern battlefield, but only a limited group of countries has the technological ability to produce them or the military capacity to operate them.

Currently, US and China export armed drones, and Israel is in the vicinity. As Russia, Turkey, South Korea and others join the market, a surge in globally available systems for a fruitful market could lead to a new dangerous era.

(Read more...)

Ukraine: Latest from OSCE

As yo know, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is using Schiebel Camcopter UAVs to monitor the uneasy truce in Ukraine between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists.

The aircrafts are based near Mariupol and are being supplied and operated under contract by the Austrian manufacturer. The OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has been present in Ukraine with a multinational team of observers throughout the conflict.

Despite claims that withdrawal of heavy weapons was completed, the SMM through the Schiebel UAV have observed the weapons movements/presence on both sides of the line of contact in the areas that are in violation of the Minsk withdrawal lines.

The SMM UAV observed on 16 May in “DPR”-controlled areas east of Mariupol two MBTs (unknown type) and three self-propelled howitzers (122mm 2S1 Gvozdika). On the same day the UAV observed three military boats (unknown type) in a “DPR”-controlled area.

On 17 May the UAV observed north-east of Mariupol in government-controlled areas one MBT (unknown type) and ten self-propelled howitzers (122mm 2S1 Gvozdika). Also on 17 May the UAV observed north-east of Mariupol in “DPR”-controlled areas seven MBTs (unknown type) and one anti-tank gun (100mm Rapira).

In addition, the UAV observed three burning houses in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) the same day.

UAVs en la guerra de Ucrania

El agravamiento de la situación en Ucrania está forzando a emplear UAVs por parte de ambos bandos, al objeto de vigilar en la medida de lo posible los movimientos del enemigo.

No obstante, la diferencia entre ambos bandos es notable: Mientras que las tropas leales a Kiev cuentan con aparatos TU-143 de la época de Breznev, las tropas leales a Moscú espían a su enemigo con aparatos Granat-1, Orlan-10 y ZALA 421-08.

Se entiende así por qué los rebeldes consiguen tanta precisión a la hora de lanzar sus ataques por sorpresa.

Russia: Pizza delivered by UAV

While America and Europe administrations are still squabbling over domestic drone regulations — which won’t take effect until at least 2015, and probably later — Russia's DoDo Pizza is using UAVs to deliver pizza in a matter of minutes: DoDo Pizza, from the Komi republic's capital city of Syktyvkar, launched its first unmanned delivery this past Saturday (June 21st), delivering the pizza in 30 minutes.

Of course, the UAVs are provided with anti-theft devices like cameras monitored by the restaurant’s manager, who calls the patron upon delivery to protect against theft. Once the patron’s identity is confirmed, a cable lowers the pizza. Also, if someone tugs on the cable too hard, an emergency mechanism releases the cable. We are now talking about delivering a pizza, but, ¿Why not beer, flowers, letters, or anything else? ¿Why not? The answer is very simple: The restriction laws. For example: Earlier this year, Lakemaid, a local brewery in Minnesota made plans to deliver beer by drone. But the FAA told Lakemaid to cease UAV operations. ¿Why? Because domestic drones are currently banned for commercial purposes or flying above 400 feet. ¿Reason? Privacy protection. 

No one would ever mistake Russia for a shining beacon of liberty, but they have embraced free-market innovation while politicians in America and Europe still see the UAVs with some kind of fear, forgetting -as CNN mentions- that “the next generation of friendly drones aren't all packing weapons or collecting data for the NSA. Some just want to bring you a nice cold one and maybe a slice without getting stuck in traffic.” Of course, privacy advocates are right to question law enforcement’s penchant for unmanned aerial vehicles and the infinite potential for abuse, but while administrations, politicians, and privacy advocates continue to squabble over domestic drone regulations, Russia — not exactly a pillar of individual liberty — allowed a local pizza joint to deliver a hot pie from the air.

Russia Captures US MQ-5 UAV over Crimea

It's being claimed that Russia hacked and took control of an MQ-5B drone over Crimea. (Read more)

Russian Defense Ministry Unveils $9B UAV Program

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has announced a program to spend about 320 billion rubles (US $9 billion) by 2020 on military UAVs.

The latest move follows last year’s announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that UAVs are a vital area of development in modern aviation, and that Russia needs to develop a wide range of drones, including combat and reconnaissance variants.

The Russian military is set to test the Yabhon United 40 MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV built by the United Arab Emirates’ Adcom Systems. Other foreign-based companies to supply drones to Russia include IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries), which delivered 12 UAVs to the military under a deal inked in 2009. 

Russia is Developing a “UAV-Killer” Defense System

Russia is upgrading its short-range Pantsir-S air defense systems with an improved capability to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles, a Defense Ministry spokesman said. “The modernization of these unique systems aimed at increasing their effectiveness against UAVs has already started,” Col. Igor Klimov said.

Pantsir-S (SA-22 Greyhound) is a gun-missile system combining a wheeled vehicle mounting a fire-control radar and electro-optical sensor, two 30-mm cannon and up to 12 57E6 radio-command guided short-range missiles, and is designed to engage a variety of low-altitude, highly maneuverable targets.