Quantity and quality: the experience of using UAVs of the Orlan family
"Orlan-10" at the start
At the time of the start of the Special Operation to protect the Donbass, one of the foundations of the Russian unmanned aviation were aircraft of the Orlan series. In the future, this whole area was greatly developed, but the Orlan-10 and Orlan-30 UAVs retained their place in the troops and still solve various tasks. In addition, the expansion of production made it possible to obtain effects not only of a qualitative but also of a quantitative nature.
Wide range of tasks
Products "Orlan-10" and "Orlan-30" are lightweight UAVs with a long flight time, capable of operating as a payload platform. First of all, optoelectronic systems are installed on them for reconnaissance, target designation and fire adjustment. In addition, the Orlans can carry light weapons, and are also used as carriers of radio equipment - as part of the Leer-3 complex.
The main task of the "Orlans" is to patrol the given areas and identify possible enemy activity. When suspicious objects are detected, the UAV operator conducts additional reconnaissance and issues target designation to fire weapons. After the first strikes, the drone ensures fire adjustment and reliable destruction of the objects found.
Depending on the payload and other factors, Orlan can remain in the air for at least 10 hours. The possibility of a long flight is actively used by our troops. So, with the help of several UAVs, long shift duty can be organized in a given area with continuous reconnaissance of targets and the performance of other tasks.
In general, the "Eagles" of the two models have proven themselves well during the Special Operation. They successfully implement the already known and proven potential, and also become a platform for various new ideas and experiments. With all this, UAVs make a significant contribution to the overall combat work of the current group of forces and help it in various areas.
Questions of quantity
"Orlan-10" and "Orlan-30" are distinguished by their large numbers. Directly in the combat zone, according to various estimates, there are at least several hundred such UAVs, and a multiple more number cannot be ruled out. Also, large stocks have been accumulated in case of resource depletion or loss of devices.
The quantitative indicators of the Orlanov park in the troops are supported by the forces of industry. In the past, the organization-developer and manufacturer "Special Technology Center" produced a large number of unmanned systems and aircraft for them. Due to these supplies, all relevant units of the armed forces were equipped and a reserve was formed.
For obvious reasons, after the start of the Special Operation, the needs of the army for Orlans-10 and Orlans-30 increased significantly. The industry responded to this by increasing the pace and volume of production. Not so long ago, some details of these processes became known.
UAV disassembled
On July 11, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in an interview for Izvestia, touched on the issue of the production of weapons and equipment. According to him, the Orlanov manufacturing enterprise has switched to a round-the-clock operation and produces equipment seven days a week. Due to this, the supply of finished UAVs increased by 53 times compared to the period before the Special Operation. The exact numbers are not named, but with such a multiplier, any result will be impressive.
Thus, the industry copes with all the existing difficulties and even sets new records. This means that the army receives a sufficient amount of equipment, and with a margin. Accordingly, the mass operation of the Orlan UAV in the combat zone will continue and give all the desired results. There are simply no prerequisites for a negative development of the situation in this context.
Experience
Unmanned aerial systems "Orlan-10" and "Orlan-30" entered service with the Russian army for a long time. During their operation, they were repeatedly used in various exercises, and since 2015 they have been used in the military operation in Syria. Over the years, a lot of experience has been gained drones.
This experience came in handy in the current Special Operation and helped in solving various combat missions. In the current operation, it is constantly supplemented and improved taking into account the specifics and new threats. In addition, new options for the use of "Orlans" are proposed and implemented, and the most successful ones are further developed.
Regular ECO drone
First of all, the Orlans remain air reconnaissance aircraft. Depending on the current situation and the needs of the troops, they can fly to a given area on demand or carry out long-term duty, incl. in shifts by several devices. UAVs are equipped with light and perfect optics, which allows you to confidently distinguish and identify the enemy at distances up to 8-10 km. In addition, the coordinates of the detected target are determined with high accuracy. Having issued target designation, Orlan can remain in the area and provide fire adjustments, as well as objectively monitor the results.
Reconnaissance UAVs "Orlan-30" and "Orlan-10" are used to ensure the operation of artillery, barrel and jet, missile systems, loitering ammunition, etc. The Ministry of Defense and unofficial resources regularly publish footage of this or that combat work taken from the reconnaissance drones. Probably, it was the "Eagles" that became the main aerial "cameramen" of the current Special Operation.
Less well known, but just as important, are the capabilities of the Orlan complex for conducting electronic intelligence: appropriate payloads can be mounted on it. Reconnaissance stations of this kind, with their small size and weight, can receive signals from sources in a large radius, which is facilitated by UAV flying at a considerable height.
Last year, an original system was demonstrated that turns the reconnaissance "Orlan" into a carrier of light high-explosive fragmentation ammunition. Under the wing of such an UAV, two drop devices were placed for two "bombs" in the form of modified grenades for an automatic grenade launcher. It was reported about the tests of such a modification at the front and obtaining curious results.
Preparation of grenade release device, May 2022
However, later on the shock version of "Orlan" was no longer remembered. Probably, this version of the use of the drone showed itself not in the best way. Thus, the release of a free-falling ammunition during horizontal flight does not provide sufficient accuracy of the hit, and the low power of the “bomb” does not compensate for the miss. Helicopter-type UAVs with drop systems or loitering ammunition are more convenient and effective strike weapons.
Proven by practice
The promising multi-purpose UAV "Orlan-10" entered service with the Russian army at the beginning of the last decade. By the beginning of the twenties, the modernized Orlan-30 was created and put into service. Over the past decade, such drones have been massively supplied to units and mastered by personnel. Questions of their application were also worked out; new tactics and solutions were proposed and tested.
Taking into account the experience of the past and the results of the use of "Orlans" in the current Special Operation, it can be argued that these unmanned aerial vehicles are one of the most important components of the materiel of the ground and other troops. With their help, the armed forces improved their capabilities in the context of reconnaissance and destruction of targets, solving some specific tasks, etc.
It is obvious that our army will continue to operate "Orlans" of two types, and the industry will continue to mass-produce and supply such equipment, providing for all the needs of the armed forces. It cannot be ruled out that in the foreseeable future Orlan-10 products will gradually be replaced by newer and more advanced Orlan-30s. And such a replacement will again have a positive effect on the capabilities of the army.
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