UAV "Orion" will be tested as a tank destroyer

Testing of the Orion strike UAV continues in Russia. There is evidence that this attack drone will soon receive new weapons for flight tests.

According to RIA News, work has already begun on equipping Orion with modernized anti-tank missiles of the Vikhr-M complex. With reference to an industry source, the news agency reports that flight tests drone as a destroyer tanks"Will be held this fall.

It is reported that the drone will strike at ground targets, which will represent an imitation of armored vehicles. Usually, in such cases, decommissioned tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other similar equipment are used at special training grounds.

Rockets "Whirlwind", as noted, will allow the use of a drone to destroy any enemy ground equipment, including modern tanks. The probability of hitting ATGM "Whirlwind" target of the "moving tank" type at the moment is about 80 percent.

By and large, the Orion UAV can be viewed as an unmanned strike platform. Various types of ammunition can be integrated with it, including corrected aerial bombs and aviation guided missiles. The first flight of this drone took place about 5 years ago. During this time, a whole range of various tests was carried out, including, as previously reported in open sources, and in combat conditions. According to the latest data, the radius of application of "Orion" is about 250 km. The payload is about a quarter of a ton.

Comments

[knn54]

So much for the stormtrooper.

[vkl.47]

250 kg payload. Is one rocket? Not enough

[Marachuh]

One? 2 × 100, 4 × 50 kg, 10 × 20 kg + stock of 50 kg. Even 20 kg will definitely be in the tank turret with a margin!

[Bumblebee]

You consider it in the net weight of the rocket, I suspect there is still additional equipment for each rocket

[venik]

Quote: vkl.47

250 kg payload is one rocket?few

=====
Only one? In fact - it depends, WHAT a rocket! "Vikhr-M" in TPK weighs - 69 kg, "Attack-V" (also in TPK) - 79 kg, "Shturm-V" - (in TPK) - 46.5 kg, "Hermes" in TPK - pulls by 107 kg .....
It turns out that only from among the existing helicopter ATGMs, Orion can carry 2 - "Hermes", 3 - "Whirlwind", 3 - "Attack-B" or 4- "Shturma" in the helicopter version ... This is not to mention the promising small-sized ATGM ...
Not so bad for a UAV with a maximum take-off weight of 1 (ONE) ton! It turns out that the payload is 25% of maximum takeoff weight !!! This is the same as the Su-25 and more than the Su-35 (23%) ...
PS Learn materiel and "the force will come with you!"

[Artyom Karagodin]

Yes, apparently, the tasks of attack aircraft are scattered between Orion-type UAVs, helicopters and attack vehicles like the Su-30 or F-15EX.

[Lara Croft]

Quote: Artyom Karagodin

missions of attack aircraft are scattered between UAVs like "Orion", helicopters and attack vehicles like Su-30 or F-15EX.

F-15EX attack aircraft?

He also acts as "advanced" fightercapable of carrying many air-to-air missiles, and as one of the most powerful tactical attack aircraft modernity.

https://topwar.ru/180838-f-15ex-ssha-poluchili-luchshij-istrebitel-chetvertogo-pokolenija.html
Su-30 attack aircraft?

In terms of its flight and combat characteristics, this aircraft is considered one of the best multirole fighters in the world. He is able to gain air supremacy and simultaneously work on the ground.

https://topwar.ru/165662-sverhmanevrennyj-vsepogodnyj-mnogocelevoj-istrebitel-su-30sm.html
Thus, the aircraft indicated by you are not attack aircraft (destroying single targets), but multifunctional fighters ...

[Artyom Karagodin]

Thus, the aircraft you specified are not attack aircraft.

You have confused something. I never wrote that these were stormtroopers. I just met the opinion that they just can take on part of the tasks of attack aircraft. The rest are helicopters and UAVs. It seems reasonable to me.

[tlauicol]

Whirlwind on a UAV? Not bad

[Ros 56]

And why not, how many armored vehicles the Azerbaijanis burned from the Armenians with the help of UAVs. Quite a sensible idea.

[Silver bullet]

I completely agree with you, he would have increased the carrying capacity up to 800 kg and turned out to be a free hunter for "pygmies"

[Ros 56]

For this, either the wing area must be increased or the speed. But in any case, the strength and aerodynamic characteristics of all the most important elements will have to be recalculated. And make changes to the design. It just won't work.

[Lara Croft]

Quote: Ros 56

how many armored vehicles the Azerbaijanis burned from the Armenians with the help of UAVs. Quite a sensible idea.

A sensible idea to put these UAVs on a shelf in RA and RT ...

[Nikolaevich I]

The use of anti-tank missiles 9M127 ("Whirlwind") by drones is a mistake! Considering the nature of the hostilities, the flight algorithms of the attack UAVs, for the armament of these, aerial ammunition with a seeker ... even with a laser one is better suited! And such ammunition has already been created and demonstrated! Arming the UAV with missiles with a laser-beam guidance system is again "pulling an owl on the globe"! The effectiveness of the use of such missiles will be lower than the use of missiles with a laser seeker! Moreover, the use of Whirlwind missiles will increase the loss of unmanned aerial vehicles with non-fulfillment of combat missions! I think that arming the Orions with "vortices" will be abandoned after the tests, provided that common sense prevails! If the "vortex" lobby "wins", then you won't have to reason sensibly!
PS There is an option ... to tackle the revision of 9M227 missiles ("Whirlwind-2") with infrared and radar seeker ...

[sen]

Missiles are missiles, but for the destruction of some targets, small-sized UABs are better suited. Abroad, it is not in vain that they are given so much attention to equip shock UAVs. With an equal total mass, they have a larger warhead.

[DenVB]

Quote: sen

for the destruction of some targets, small-sized UABs are better suited.

Right. Turkish MAM-Ls, for example, weigh 22 kilograms. A tandem cumulative warhead, taking into account the defeat from above, will be enough for any tank.