By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans
Russia is notably lagging behind in the development and production of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). Its attempts to catch up have included weaponising the Forpost UAV, which is a licensed copy of the Israeli IAI Searcher, and designing an indigenous UCAV known as the Kronshtadt Orion. Several more advanced UCAV designs are also in the pipeline, including Sukhoi's Okhotnik-B, and Kronshtadt's Sirius and Grom projects. The future of these systems, already in some doubt due to a lack of access to certain key technologies, will be even more so now that Russia finds itself buckling under the weight of international sanctions. Regardless of the continued course of their development, it is certain that Russia has all but missed the boat when it comes to cashing in on the worldwide drone revolution. To add further insult to injury, Russia has recently found itself forced to turn to Iran for the acquisition of Mohajer-6 UCAVs and Shahed-131/6 loitering munitions to satisfy its operational needs during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Likely because of the limited numbers available, attrition and denial of effective operations by Ukrainian air defence, and simply less experience with the use of UCAVs, the influence of the Forpost-R and Orion on the conflict has so far been neglible. Just two MBTs, three AFVs, two towed artillery pieces and seven vehicles are visually confirmed to have been struck by Russian Forpost-Rs and Orions at the confirmed loss of at least one Orion UCAV (and one Mohajer-6). [1] [2] Even if Russia's development and production of UCAVs has been too late to be of much impact on the Russo-Ukrainian War and the international drone market, positive experiences gained with their use over Ukraine could mean Russia will be prompted to acquire them in greater numbers instead of more expensive manned aircraft.
Previous attempts by Russia to introduce UCAVs in the 2000s through theSokol Tribute-BARUK and Mikoyan Skat projects proved unsuccessful due to a lack of funding. Russia returned to designing large UAVs and UCAVs in the early 2010s with high ambitions, with an AWACS UAV (Kronstadt Helios-RLD ''Orion-2'') and a carrier-borne aerial refueling drone (Mikoyan Multifunctional Shipborne UAV) said to be under development. The successful conclusion of these and other UAV projects is highly unlikely, and in most areas progress has been underwhelming compared to their international equivalents. Though the Kronshtadt Sirius and Grom have similar mission profiles to the Bayraktar Akıncı and Kızılelma respectively, a lack of a high-tech industrial base, suitable precision-guided munitions (PGMs) ability to manufacture or import key components, inferior flight and payload characteristics and lack of experience with serial production of such UCAVs in general means that these products will almost certainly have inferior capabilities, if they are ever produced in meaningful numbers at all.
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A Forpost-R with four KAB-20 PGMs. |
Russia's operational drone munitions arsenal has since expanded with several other munitions types, including an air-launched version of the Kornet ATGM known as the Kh-BPLA (that was infamously used against a helicopter UAV in an exercise simulating a rather far-fetched scenario) and the KAB-20 PGM. [2] Footage has shown that the KAB-20, though it is one of the more realistic types of weaponry for these drones, so far falls short of achieving the accuracy of contemporary Western munitions like the U.S. AGM-114 and Turkish MAM-L. For example, in one instance on the battlefields of Ukraine, a KAB-20 deployed by a Forpost-R missed the static BMP-2 it was targeting, resulting in damage to the vehicle instead of a kill. [3]
Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles - Operational
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Orlan-10 [2022] (Can be armed with four VOG-17 fragmentation grenades)![]()
Lastochka-M [2021] (Can be armed with two small unguided munitions)![]()
Forpost-R [2021] (Capable of carrying up to 120kg of armament consisting of four KAB-20 or two Aviaavtomatika PGMs or two Kh-BPLA ATGMs)![]()
Kronshtadt Orion 'Inokhodets' [2016] Two configurations: (2, Orion-E) (Capable of carrying up to 230kg of armament consisting of one OFAB-100 or four FAB-50 dumb bombs, or four UFAB-50 glide bombs, or six KAB-20, three KAB-50 or six Aviaavtomatika PGMs, or two Kh-50 AGMs, or two Kh-BPLA or 9K121 Vikhr ATGMs, or Aviaavtomatika cargo containers or one fire retardant dispersion bomb)![Iran]()
Mohajer-6 ''M6'' [2022] (Can be armed with four Ghaem-1, 5 and 9, Sadid-345 or Unknown Sadid PGMs or four Almas-1/2 AGTMs or four Hydra 70/Fadak 80 (guided) rocket pods)
Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles - Prototypes That Are Currently Flying
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Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B [2019] [Can also operate as loyal wingman] (Capable of carrying up to 2000kg of armament including nearly all types of guided and unguided armament currently in Russian service. Will also be able to carry air-to-air missiles) [Serial produced examples are to feature a flat nozzle to reduce their thermal and radar signature]![]()
Sokol Altius [2016] (Capable of carrying up to 1000kg of guided and unguided armament)![]()
Luch Korsar [2015] (Supposedly capable of carrying two Aviaavtomatika PGMs, or two 9M113 Konkurs or 9K121 Vikhr ATGMs) [Tested but not operationally deployed)
Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles - In Early Development
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Kronshtadt Helios 'Orion-2' (Capable of carrying up to 1000kg of guided and unguided armament)![]()
Kronshtadt Sirius 'Inokhodets-RU' (Claimed to be capable of carrying up to 450kg of armament including one OFAB-100 or OFAB-250 or four FAB-50 or FAB-100 dumb bombs, or eight KAB-20 or four KAB-50 or KAB-100 PGMs or eight Kh-BPLA or four 9K121 Vikhr ATGMs)![]()
Kronshtadt Grom [Can also operate as loyal wingman] (Claimed to be capable of carrying up to 2000kg of guided armament including eight OFAB-100, four FAB-100 or OFAB-250 dumb bombs, or two RBK-500U cluster bombs, or two ODAB-500PMV fuel-air explosive bombs, or six KAB-50, two KAB-250 or one KAB-500 PGMs, or four Izdeliye 85 PGMs or one Kh-38 AGMs, or one Kh-58 ARM) [Capable of controlling a swarm of up to ten Molniya reconnaissance and loitering munitions launched by other aircraft]![]()
Mikoyan Multifunctional Shipborne UAV (Capable of carrying guided and unguided armament and an in-flight refuelling pod) [Designed for use on Russia's next generation aircraft carrier]
[1] Nascent Capabilities: Russian Armed Drones Over Ukraine https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/04/nascent-capabilities-russian-armed.html
[2] List Of Aircraft Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/03/list-of-aircraft-losses-during-2022.html
Nascent Capabilities: Russian Armed Drones Over Ukraine