"Orion" is a hollow long-time cha-tat integrated UAV developed by Russia, and the "Orion" UAV is equipped with a "Whirlwind" anti-tank missile, which significantly improves its combat capability. A few days ago, the Russian technology group, which is unified in charge of weapons development, announced that the official test of the Russian "Orion" attack drone with the "Whirlwind-M" anti-tank missile system will be carried out before the end of 2021, and the entire weapon system will be finalized in 2022.
In July of this year, Kalashnikov Group also confirmed the information that The Orion can be equipped with the Whirlwind anti-tank missile, which is currently undergoing modification work for use on various platforms. A "Orion" ground control station can control several drones, so "Orion" can participate in combat operations in the form of a swarm of drones. In addition, the export version of the "Orion-E" drone was publicly displayed at the MAKS-2021 Moscow Airshow in July this year.
The Orion Tsatta UAVs have a maximum take-off weight of 1 ton and a payload of 200 kg, which can fly for up to 24 hours and operate well in any weather conditions. Orion's autonomous radar positioning system can take off and land without satellite navigation or signal interference.
In addition, the distinctive feature of the Orion drone is its low-pitched characteristics, which ensure that the engine is silent. The Orion drone also introduced for the first time a very energy-efficient electrical pulse de-icing system that can perform combat missions even in the harshest weather conditions. The fuselage of the Orion drone is made almost entirely of carbon fiber.
According to media reports, "Orion" can use a very wide range of ammunition, including Kh-50 small size air-to-ground missiles, KAB-20 small size correction bombs, UPAB-50 guided glide bombs, KAB-50 small size correction bombs, FAB-50 guided bombs, etc. The Orion Tada integrated UAV has been used in actual combat in Syria, and one Orion UAV has flown 38 times in Syria and carried out 17 strikes against terrorist targets. Orion drones can be used not only for reconnaissance or attack of enemies, but also for civilian missions, ranging from disaster relief information support to firefighting and delivering goods to remote areas.
The addition of the Whirlwind-M missile to the arsenal of the Orion UAV can greatly enhance its combat capability and have the ability to strike all armored targets on the battlefield. The Whirlwind is an airborne anti-tank missile system originally designed for installation on strike aircraft and helicopter gunships, in addition to a carrier-based Whirlwind-K anti-tank missile capable of attacking armored vehicles and low-speed air targets. The upgraded Ka-52M helicopter will be equipped with this anti-tank missile system, in addition, Kalashnikov earlier informed that the "Whirlpool" anti-tank missile can be installed on the latest Mi-28NE and Mi-35P helicopters.
The Orion drone is a dynamic development project that used to be only reconnaissance, but today there is a Schatkat integrated attack type. During the Soviet era, drones received a lot of attention, and there were even unmanned supersonic reconnaissance vehicles in service. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's drone superiority disappeared. Now, Russian UAVs still need to catch up in terms of target loads, component bases, and propulsion systems. The Russian Ministry of Defense's demand for multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicles, especially the Tsatta integrated UAVs, is increasing day by day, so the research and development of "Orion" UAVs has been highly valued, and the application prospects of the Russian military are very broad.
Compared with the development of UAV in the same period between China and the United States, Russia's development in the field of UAV has been very backward, and even the proud Russian aviation and scientific community itself have admitted it. In the Soviet era, there was a lot of achievement in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, but in the hands of Russia, it was difficult to say anything, and it was unbearable to look back. Now, Russia, which has been silent in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles for many years, has suddenly made frequent efforts in 2021 to achieve gratifying results. Judging from the several unmanned aerial vehicles and ammunition that Russia has developed successively, Russia is catching up, and the distance between China and the United States is slowly shrinking.