Russian army adopts new reconnaissance drones
The Russian army has ordered a large number of Tipchak UAV systems from Vega Radio Engineering Corp.; the UAVs will serve in intelligence gathering, but company president says: “Our next project is the development of an attack drone based on the current design”
Russia’s Defense Ministry has ordered a large number of new-generation unmanned reconnaissance drones to be put in service in the next few years, a Russian electronics company said on Wednesday. “Several dozen Tipchak UAV systems will enter service with the Russian army in the next few years,” said Vladimir Verba, general director of the Vega Radio Engineering Corp. “The first system will be delivered by the end of 2008.”
The new-generation Tipchak mobile aerial system has been designed for reconnaissance and target designation purposes on the battlefield in any weather conditions. It operates up to six UAVs launched from a pneumatic catapult. Each UAV has a range of twenty-five miles and can provide targeting for artillery and theater-based ballistic missiles at distances up to 220 miles.
The drone is fitted with infrared and video sensors and has a real-time digital data link for communication with artillery units for laser-guided targeting. “Our next project is the development of an attack drone based on the current design,” Verba said.
