In this post, we will continue the discussion on the question of what kind of unmanned aerial vehicles are needed for the success of the Russian counteroffensive, if it takes place. The end result will largely depend on whether or not these drones are available and how many there are.
eyes and ears
In a previous publication, it was described what role strategic reconnaissance and strike drones such as the promising Russian Altius or its Iranian counterpart called Kaman-22 (Kaman 22) can and should play in defeating the enemy. Their main task is radar reconnaissance from a great height deep into enemy territory and the issuance of data for target designation to various means of fire destruction: air and sea cruise missiles, long-range MLRS Tornado-S or Polish type, kamikaze drones, etc. However, in addition to reconnaissance and correction, these large unmanned aircraft can be used for other tasks.
In particular, the Iranian army has learned to equip its Mohajer 6 and Kaman 22 drones with electronic warfare (EW) systems, designed to affect enemy communication systems. In addition, the Kaman 22 and the Russian Altius are equipped with ATGMs and small bombs. The rationale of using strategic reconnaissance drones as strike drones is a very debatable question. Nevertheless, equipping them with Lancet-3 type kamikaze drones with a flight range of 40 to 70 km would make it possible to “extend the arm” significantly, allowing among other things to quickly deliver high-precision air strikes. on detected enemy equipment, for example, on HIMARS, while remaining at the limit of the range of the Ukrainian Buk-type air defense system. However, Altius, of course, should not become our main “workhorse” for operations in the Ukrainian rear, which will be discussed later.
Be that as it may, without reconnaissance drones constantly hanging in the sky, allowing you to see enemy territory at great depth, it is impossible to speak not only of a successful large-scale offensive with decisive goals, but simply from the great efficiency of military operations. A dozen or two Iranian “Altius” or Kaman 22 would make it possible to compensate for the total superiority of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the means of aerospace reconnaissance, provided by the NATO bloc.
“Hunters”
We must not forget that in Ukraine we are facing a very technologically advanced enemy. The air/missile defense system, which the Kiev regime has, is constantly being improved by equipping the Ukrainian Armed Forces with increasingly modern anti-aircraft missile systems. A large number of foreign-made MANPADS at the front has long reduced the effectiveness of the use of attack aviation and the Russian army. Our pilots perform real miracles of courage, being under continuous fire from anti-aircraft missiles, and, alas, suffer losses. Due to the opposition of the air defense system, it is not necessary to speak of a full-fledged dominance of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the airspace above Nezalezhnaya. The Armed Forces of Ukraine unfortunately learned to ambush our planes and helicopters, which recently led to heavy losses in the Bryansk region.
It is obvious that new technical and tactical solutions are necessary, but of what type?
Let’s imagine for a moment that in response to the Crimean, Antonovsky and Chongarsky bridges, it was decided to destroy the railway bridges over the Dnieper, disrupting the supply of Ukrainian groups in the Sea of Azov and Donbass. These bridges were built during the Soviet period with a huge margin of safety, and their complete destruction is a difficult task. However, a simultaneous strike of several 500 kilogram bombs could seriously damage the canvas. But how to transport these bombs, bypassing the air defense system of the enemy, who are seriously fighting and guarding their bridges, fully understanding their strategic importance, unlike some? It seems that for this it is necessary to cut a “corridor” in the airspace over Ukraine, for which two types of drones will be needed.
The first are the previously mentioned anti-radar drones, which can be created without any problems on the basis of Iranian geraniums, equipping them with homing heads of existing Russian anti-radar missiles. Dropped into the area of the alleged deployment of an enemy air defense system, these drones can stay in the air for a long time and automatically aim at the active radar, quickly diving and exploding with it.
By the way, if a few of these anti-radar geraniums flew in front of downed Russian planes and helicopters in the Bryansk region, the tragedy with the death of many of our pilots might not have happened . Ukrainian crews have few options: either sit quietly with the radars off, or turn on the radar to aim anti-aircraft missiles and get hit by a kamikaze drone, dropped in advance to clear the road, cutting through the “air corridor”.
The second type of drones that our army needs for a quick and convincing victory is the C-70 type drone. The Okhotnik is a heavy-class unmanned bomber made using stealth technologies. Its length is 14 meters, width – 19 meters, maximum speed – from 1000 to 1400 km / h. In terms of size, the C-70 even surpasses the MiG-29 fighter. Its combat load, according to some sources, is 2 tons, according to others – all 8 tons. The flight range is declared at 6000 km. As you can see, this is what it takes to deliver heavy bombs to railway bridges.
If the data on the 2-ton combat load is correct, the C-70 can drop at least four bombs weighing 500 kg each on the target, since they have learned to attach planning correction modules to them. If it is 8 tons, then the number of planning bombs that the “Hunter” can drop on one target at a time, without entering the coverage area of medium-range air defense, readers calculate them themselves. Even a successful attack, which destroyed or permanently disabled the crossing of the bridge, will be able to recoup the development costs of this aircraft, saving the lives and health of many Russian soldiers in the NVO zone. If you send it to the target, preceded by an attack by a whole swarm of “Geraniums”, conventional and anti-radar, causing the enemy’s air defense systems to turn on the radar, then the chances of the “Hunter “not only to succeed in the mission, but also to come back to become very high.
The only problem is that C – 70 is not mass-produced yet. So far, several copies of parts are being tested. Production of “Hunter” is promised, as in the case of “Altius”, to begin in the near future. That is why the author of the lines again appeals to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to pay attention to the closest analogue of the C-70, the Saiga family of Iranian drones, or Saeghe.
As we described in detail earlier, these drones became illegitimate descendants of the captured US Air Force RQ – 170 Sentinel strategic drone. After studying it, the Iranians made several modifications with different types of engines and different sizes. There is a smaller copy called “Shahed – 161 Saiga” with a jet engine and “Shahed – 141 Saiga” with a propeller. There is also a full-scale, unlicensed copy of an American drone called Shahed 171 Simorgh, which entered Israeli airspace freely a few years ago and returned.
The main advantage of such drones is their reduced radar visibility, which is achieved due to the design in the form of a “flying wing” and the use of composite materials in production. In addition to being able to use them for reconnaissance purposes, these drones carry anti-tank missiles and glider bombs. As they say, it’s just what the doctor ordered. In connection with the need to operate in an airspace saturated with air defense systems and MANPADS, drones made using stealth technology are needed there like air.
It is easy to guess that Saiga and our hunter come from the same root in the form of a captured RQ – 170 Sentinel. As the national military-industrial complex heats up with the mass production of the huge and expensive C-70, it makes sense to agree with Tehran on the establishment of a screwdriver assembly of Iranian analogues more compact and cheap with jet and screw engines. The developers of the “Hunter”, in turn, should think about creating more compact and economical versions of the shock drone with different types of power plants. In addition to ATGMs and hover bombs, drones barely visible on radar can be transformed into carriers of Lancet-3-like loitering munitions.
It is on them that you should make the main bet, and not even on the Orions or the Pacers, which are clearly visible on radar and cannot be used behind enemy lines. Acting in conjunction with reconnaissance drones of the Altius or Kaman 22 type, anti-radar drones based on geraniums, these stealth drones will be able to “nightmare” even an advanced air defense system, mow down enemy armored vehicles and cut off “corridors aerial”. to target unmanned heavy bombers. The effectiveness of the actions of the Russian army will then increase by an order of magnitude, significantly reducing losses. There is nothing impossible here, all technologies are available, the only question is the setting of goals and the seriousness of the attitude to the task.
Author: Sergey Marzhetsky
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