"Termites" go to the front
"Termite" in the assembly shop. Photo: amalantra
First of its kind
Helicopter technology showed itself in all its glory in the special operation. Especially the army one aviation was revealed during the past and unsuccessful offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The crews of the Ka-52 shot at the “armor” of the Nazis at the front from long distances with almost impunity. And vice versa, the enemy clearly did not have enough support from helicopter pilots during the notorious offensive. Military analysts and historians will be assessing the degree of influence of fire support helicopters on the course of a special operation for a long time.
At the same time, one cannot fail to mention the vulnerability of helicopters. Any rotorcraft is an excellent target on the battlefield, which can be reached by both missile and small arms fire. weapons. In the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they managed to reliably cover their air defense positions, which is why helicopter pilots are forced to either take serious risks or work from a pitching position. Army aviation flights at ultra-low altitudes, even in their own rear areas, have become typical.
The transfer of at least part of the helicopter function to unmanned platforms has been asking for a long time and ideally should have happened even before the special operation. But we have to be content with what we have – at the moment it’s news on the launch of the MDP-01 Termit attack helicopter into production. At the sites of NPP Strela JSC (an enterprise within the Kronstadt company), assembly has been organized since the beginning of November drones.
“Termite” was first shown back in 2021. Photo: Missiles.ru
Appearance drones helicopter type on special operations fronts cannot be underestimated. For many reasons, cars can make life much more difficult for nationalists, especially on distant frontiers. First of all, drones can now be used in so-called “helicopter-hazardous” areas without putting pilots at risk.
It was announced that the Termit carries three S-8L missiles, allegedly specially adapted for UAVs. Missiles with laser homing heads, which means they require external illumination. This can be done using an on-board optical-electronic system, or from an external target designator. For example, from the unmanned Orion circling nearby.
Many commentators complain about the high visibility of the Termite - it is noisy and rather large. But, unlike aircraft-type UAVs, a helicopter drone can use the terrain for cover. “Termite” can be called a multifunctional analogue of the Orion attack drone, which does not require an airfield.
At the moment, the Termit’s only weapon is a trio of S-8L guided missiles. Photo: Missiles.ru
It is necessary to make some clarifications to the characteristics of “Termite”.
Some sources call the drone’s payload 350 or even 450 kg. If the Termit were such a heavyweight, then the engineers obviously would not have limited themselves to three S-8L missiles, each of which pulls no more than 15 kg. The total take-off weight of an unmanned helicopter lies in the range of 350–450 kg – hence the confusion from ill-informed experts.
Everything in this infographic circulating on the Internet is good, except for the Termite payload.
Even from the photographs it is clear that a combat vehicle of such dimensions will not lift nearly half a ton of cargo into the air. “Termite” was developed on the basis of the domestic helicopter-type drone SmartHELI-350, or its long-range version SmartHELI-450.
The vehicles were presented back in 2021, along with the first prototype of the military version of the Termit product. At Army 2021, some contracts were even signed with the Ministry of Defense, but it has only now come to actual production.
There is no open data on the target load of the Termit, but you can focus on the characteristics of the civilian prototype SmartHELI-350/450, according to which the vehicle can carry no more than 45 kg. Which explains the small number of S-8L missiles on the external sling.
Lightweight and maneuverable
A little about the parameters of “Termite”.
The stated maximum speed is 150 km/h, which is quite enough for a compact drone that is 5 meters long and 2,3 meters high. Autonomy is about 6 hours, which provides a working radius of the vehicle of 300–400 kilometers. If you believe the official data, then we have the parameters of the civilian SmartHELI-450 with a fuel reserve increased to 140 liters.
By the way, the manufacturer’s portfolio includes a larger aircraft – SmartHELI-550 with a flight duration of 7,5 hours. The drone has a more powerful engine and an increased fuel supply.
By the way, it’s worth talking about the power plant in more detail.
In 2021, the general director of the Aviation Support Systems (ABC) company, Alexander Kurnikov, said that the level of domestic components for an unmanned helicopter reaches 90 percent. The ill-fated 10 percent of imports included power plants. Two years ago, Russia did not produce specialized engines for such UAVs, so it was necessary, as Kurnikov said, to “remake the power units available on the market.”
What kind of unit is now under the hood of the Termit - one can only guess. In the most unlikely case, Russian engineers managed to create their own engine, but borrowing a unit from China or another friendly country looks much more reliable. For example, licensed production may well be organized.
It is worth mentioning separately that these are just speculations, but the very fact that the Termit power plant was not announced in the press speaks volumes.
The completely civilian UAV SmartHELI-450 was chosen as the base for Termite.
Despite its modest combat load of 45–50 kilograms, the Termit can occupy an important niche at the front. In addition to the mentioned S-8L guided missiles, the drone can also carry anti-tank weapons. The drone is unlikely to be able to handle the renowned ATGM “Attack” - the mass of the launch complex is close to what is permissible for the Termit. But it is quite possible to adapt a 29-kilogram Cornet, but this task clearly has an asterisk.
A helicopter UAV allows you to do a lot at the front.
If we take innovations in the tactics of using drones as a starting point, then “Termite”, for example, can be used from ambushes. This requires unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance assistants. The operating principle is as follows. The Termite lands near the target where important guests from the Ukrainian Armed Forces are expected to arrive in the near future. The site needed is small - only 10 by 10 meters.
Such tactics are especially effective in the depths of the enemy’s defense, where the concentration of troops is not as great as at the front, and uninvited guests are not expected. To operate, you need a repeater drone with target monitoring devices. At the right moment, “Termite” rises into the air, works on the target and goes home.
There is little fantastic in this example - similar schemes are implemented by our fighters using FPV drones, which are on duty near the enemy in sleep mode on the ground. This allows you to significantly save charge and battery life. The practice of using attack drones from ambush is also common among nationalists. “Termite” approaches such work with a noticeable adjustment for size and visibility, both in the air and on the ground.
A new Russian helicopter drone may well serve as a remote mining system. The TM-57 anti-tank mine pulls 9 kilograms, that is, “Termit” is able to take up to five such products on an external sling. With a successful combination of circumstances, a UAV can give the enemy a lot of unpleasant surprises.
But the main role of Termit at the moment is to operate fragmentation missiles at a range of up to 6 km. A helicopter will not be able to independently illuminate a target with a laser at such a distance without rising several hundred meters and exposing itself to enemy MANPADS. The developers have equipped the machine with elements of artificial intelligence - the operator simply needs to point the laser at the target, and the machine will do the rest itself. It will choose the most convenient launch moment and hit the enemy with a high probability of death.
The appearance of “Termite” in the arsenal of the Russian Army is a very positive development. The drone should become the founder of a whole family of helicopter UAVs capable of delivering several hundred kilograms of payload to the enemy.
As a result, this will make it possible not only to complement the work of the Ka-52 and Mi-28, but to fully replace the vehicles on the entire front.
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