Drones have been an important part of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which last Friday exceeded 100 days (3).
Both countries use the technology with equipment aimed at sending reconnaissance and images in real-time, others that fire missiles and some that are bombs themselves, and World War II. Used with kamikaze planes of World War II.
In the case of Ukraine, which has more limited military strength than Russia, even commercial drones have been replaced by volunteers to assist in the conflict.
Check out the main drone models used in combat.
Bayraktar TB2
Models manufactured by Baykar Teknoloji in Turkey are 6.2 meters long and have a wingspan of 12 meters. They can reach an altitude of 7.6 km and travel at a speed of about 217 km/h.
Remotely operated by military personnel on land, these drones carry payloads of up to 700 kg. They often carry bombs and air-to-surface laser missiles.
The drone costs around US$1 million (R$4 million) but seems worth the investment. They attracted a lot of attention in the battle against the columns of Russian tanks and ships.
KUB BLA
It is produced by the defense company Zala Aero, a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov Group, Russia’s largest weapons manufacturer. Also known as the Zala KYB-UAV, it is designed to defeat distant ground targets.
Although it can accelerate to 130 km/h, stay in the air for 30 minutes and can carry up to 3 kg, it is mostly used as a suicide drone (or kamikaze).
Rob Lee, PhD, a student in War Studies at the University of London’s King’s College shared the attack on a US-made Ukrainian howitzer. The researcher believes this was done with a KUB BLA.
At the very least, it’s “cheaper” to be wasted on each attack. It is estimated to cost US$160,000 (approximately R$767,000).
switchblade
Manufactured by California-based AeroVironment and shipped from the United States to Ukraine. They are known as trailing munitions because they can continue to hover until a target is detected. They also function as kamikazes and are used to target Russian tanks and soldiers.
There are two versions:
- Switchblade 300
It weighs only 2.5 kg and fits in a backpack. It was designed to attack people and light vehicles. It can fly about 10 km and hover for 15 minutes before hitting the target.
- Switchblade 600
It is more robust, used against larger targets such as armored vehicles with 22.7 kg and 15 kg missiles. Flight autonomy is 40 km and 40 minutes gliding.
orlan-10
Developed in St Petersburg by Russian company Special Technology Center LLC, Orlan-10 is a medium-range multi-purpose drone. It can be used for aerial reconnaissance, tracking, search and rescue, radio signal detection and target tracking, among others. Its value is US$300,000 (approximately R$1.5 million).
It is launched with a collapsible catapult and retrieved using a parachute landing system. The maximum take-off weight is 16.5 kg, respectively.
According to Newsweek, the Russian Ministry of Defense claims that these drones are used to assist civilians.
eleron-3
It is designed for 24-hour aerial optoelectronic reconnaissance with real-time detection and identification of reconnaissance objects by the operator, area photography and visual search.
Produced by Russian drone developer JSC ENICS, Eleron-3 has a minimum flight time of 100 minutes and reaches a maximum speed of 130 km/h. It has a maximum take-off weight of 5.5 kg and carries a payload of up to 1 kg.
According to The Washington Post, Russia is using these reconnaissance drones to explore Ukrainian positions.
DJI Mavic 3
It is one of the few models used by both Ukraine and Russia. Made by Chinese DJI, these cameras are equipped with a high-quality camera, two lenses and fully manual exposure control, ideal for video professionals.
The Ukrainians have customized these small drones worth $2,200 (about R$10,000) for surveillance and even dropping smaller explosives into the Russian army.
DJI has even stopped its sale to the two countries, arguing that its drones are not made for military purposes.
source: Noticias
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