Unmanned Troops Command. How UAVs developed in our country

The attitude towards drones, as to some "models", could be found until the second year of the special operation. Having graduated from military academies at the beginning of the century, many did not understand the importance of drones on the modern battlefield. The role of the main assault force was assigned to tanks. Drones were considered by many to be useful, but nothing more than a means of reconnaissance. In the second year of the special operation, it turned out that drones were successfully destroying modern Western tanks and armored personnel carriers. Moreover, the appearance of attack drones has changed the very tactics of the battle. For example, now tanks and infantry are no longer advancing in deployed columns. And they try to disperse into small groups.

Do not think that the current formidable "Lancets" trace their history back to model circles in the now forgotten "Pioneer Houses." No matter how paradoxical it may sound, the newest type of weapons appeared in the USSR army back in the 50s of the last century. The first UAV was called, in full accordance with the long-standing Soviet military tradition, the incomprehensible abbreviation "RK-55." True, he soon received two more familiar names for the ear: "Record" or "Scout-K".

According to military historians, the development of this device began in the 1950s, and the first successful flight took place in 1960. The RK-55 drone was designed for reconnaissance missions and equipped with cameras to record the situation on the ground. Probably, there is no need to say that "Scout-K" was distinguished by a simple design and rather limited capabilities. The novelty did not make a strong impression on the military. The main reconnaissance tool since the Great Patriotic War was aerial photography. In addition, no one will cancel visual observation. It was a serious matter, and various "models" tried to prevent him. For example, in the 1960s, the An-24FK aircraft was used in the USSR for aerial photography, which was a modification of the An-24 passenger aircraft. Therefore, it was decided to strengthen the drone.

First of all, the development of UAVs was received by the leading design bureau of Tupolev. Aircraft manufacturers were told to stop at jet engines. As a result, in 1964, the supersonic unmanned reconnaissance Tu-123 Yastreb was adopted. It was intended for long-range reconnaissance flights. In 1979, the army received a reusable high-speed operational-tactical reconnaissance UAV Tu-141 "Strizh," adopted for service. Equipped with a tuurbojet engine and capable of speeds up to 1110 km/h. The next drone, developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau Tu-143 "Reis," will rain in military warehouses until the start of the air defense system. It is known that the Kyiv "homemade" part of these devices tried, without much success, to remake into "kamikaze" drones.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the army did not experience a special need for UAVs. Yes, the state budget of Russia was barely enough to maintain the regular air force in working order. The revival of domestic drones, like much else, began in 2000. New devices, given the development of technology, were developed from scratch. The case, as they say, went: in the first years of the two thousandth, for example, the Orlan UAV appeared in the Russian troops. Used for reconnaissance and surveillance, and Baikal, a strategic drone for long flights. Following them, the Iskander UAV, intended for short-range reconnaissance, and the Orel-10, which was successfully used in operations in Syria, were developed.

True, after a while, the chosen concept of UAV development had to be adjusted. As the first year of hostilities of the special operation showed, Russia was building heavy and expensive drones. For example, the domestic UAV "Orion" wingspan of 16 meters, and a ton of take-off weight. Meanwhile, the combat load of the Orion is about 200 kilograms, and the range does not exceed 250 km. Such a device costs several million rubles. It is rather difficult to use it on the battle line.

Probably, domestic UAVs would have remained few, expensive and vulnerable to air defense devices, if not for the combat experience gained on the fronts of the air defense system. First of all, it turned out that the drone should be compact, launched using a small installation in an open field, and also have acceptable speed, stealth and combat load. A leader will soon emerge: the unmanned Lancet loitering ammunition developed by the Russian company ZALA (part of the Kalashnikov group of companies). The head guidance unit of the Lancet is equipped with a video camera, so soon the whole world was circled by videos showing the detonation of a variety of armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The cost ratio was impressive: the Lancet, which costs a budget of $35,000, easily undermines a Western tank at a cost of a dozen million dollars.

Today, the domestic drone industry is experiencing a period of rapid growth. If a few years ago, Russian developments in the field of drones seemed insignificant compared to world leaders, now Russia is actively increasing its position. The list of manufactured disembodies includes more than a dozen items. There are world-class innovations, especially in the niche of unmanned VTOLs (vertical take-off and landing aircraft). The Geran UAV was provided for a turning point in the course of a special military operation.

Initially, these were UAVs, the production of which, after a number of improvements, was localized in Russia. The characteristics of this drone, the best possible, correspond to the tasks of the special operation. The device has a length of 2.6 meters, a wingspan of 2.2 meters and a take-off weight of about 135 kg. The body is made of composite materials, which allows it to remain invisible to enemy radars. Flight range "Geranium -1" - 900 kilometers. "Geranium" is launched in batches of several at once, using compact installations fixed in the back of a truck. The Russian Geran is equipped with a control unit using a domestic navigation system. This ensures greater independence and autonomy of the Russian UAV from foreign positioning systems.

But the biggest advantage of Geranium lies in its warhead. It weighs about 50 kilograms in a UAV. In this case, it can be equipped with a high-explosive, fragmentation and cumulative charge. In addition, "Gernp" can carry a volumetric charge to destroy enemy shelters.

Drones "Geran" allowed our military to operate behind enemy lines. Hundreds of UAVs attacked Ukraine's military and industrial infrastructure. At first, they flew up to military facilities at extremely low altitude in order to remain invisible to air defense systems. Subsequently, the Russian Armed Forces changed tactics, launching drones at an altitude of several kilometers, and descending immediately before the strike. Recently, Gerani has been attacked by the so-called "swarm," overloading the enemy's air defense system. It remains only to notice that the UAV can destroy a strong point, a medium-sized building, headquarters or tank. The cost of Gerani-1 is only 50 thousand rubles.

Actually, the creation of a new type of troops was the next stage in the history of UAVs. The rapid development of the industry, the emergence of new types of drones and new tactics for their use, requires coordination of efforts, which is possible only in the conditions of army unity of command. Moreover, an experienced and knowledgeable commander should represent a new force that has changed the face of modern warfare.