Kamikaze drone for the Navy
Serial kamikaze drone "Ghoul". Photo Telegram / "Turned by War"
For the Russian naval fleet a promising kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle is being created. It will be placed on ships and boats and complement existing weapons, expanding the reconnaissance and strike capabilities of its carrier in solving various tasks. The development of such a UAV is reportedly nearing completion.
According to the latest data
The development of a specialized disposable strike UAV for the fleet was reported on March 11 by Izvestia. From its sources in the Ministry of Defense it learned about the existence of such a project and its progress. Thus, it is noted that the development drone is nearing completion and will soon be able to enter service with the Navy.
Izvestia designates the new development as a “ship-based version of the strike drone-kamikaze". The product is proposed to be launched directly from the deck of a ship or carrier boat and used against surface and ground targets. Boats and motor boats carrying enemy saboteurs are considered as naval targets for such a UAV. It is also proposed to be used against unmanned kamikaze boats.
The “land” use of naval UAVs is associated with Marine Corps operations. The kamikaze drone will have to become another means of fire support for fighters and units operating on the coast.
Attack of an armored vehicle with a strike drone. Photo Telegram / BOBR
Technical details of the new project are not reported. In this regard, it is unknown what type of UAV we are talking about - aircraft or helicopter. Also in question are the size and class, combat capabilities, etc. However, new information about this project may appear in the very near future, after the completion of current work and the start of deliveries of finished equipment to the Navy.
Experience
To date, the Russian Navy has accumulated some experience in operating unmanned aerial vehicles. aviation systems During exercises and other events, fleet ships used the Orlan-10 reconnaissance UAV and other similar equipment. The launch was carried out from a catapult on the deck, and lifting trap nets were used to return. Both the possibility of operating reconnaissance drones on ships and all its benefits were clearly demonstrated.
At the same time, our Navy does not yet have attack drones. This issue is now being addressed with a new project that is reportedly nearing completion. The organizational and technical details of this project are not reported, but it can be assumed that the UAV for the Navy uses the experience of creating, producing and operating similar equipment in the ground forces. It is likely that existing ideas and solutions are supplemented with new proposals related to special conditions of future operation.
What exactly the new UAV will be like has not yet been announced. However, foreign experience shows that ships can carry and use drones of almost any class. The composition of such an aviation group and its technical features actually depend only on the wishes of the customer and the requirements of the carrier ship.
Iranian carrier ship of several types of UAVs. Photo: Tasnim News
Thus, in the USA, multifunctional UAVs the size of a full-fledged fighter, capable of taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier, are being developed for carrier-based aviation. Iran, in turn, accepts specialized ships into the Navy, equipped with a large number of medium and light class drones, incl. impact products. China is also developing this direction and is already showing concepts of medium- and heavy-class UAV carrier ships.
In the context of the new Russian project, it is Iranian developments that are of greatest interest. They show how, with minimal effort, you can change the combat capabilities of a ship of any class or create a completely new type of combat unit with specific tasks and tools to solve them.
Possible appearance
According to Izvestia, the promising kamikaze drone is “a ship-based version of the kamikaze strike drone.” This indicates that a modification of one of the existing attack UAVs is being created for the fleet. It is not reported which product is taken as the basis. It cannot be ruled out that the publication only had in mind a new version of the concept of a kamikaze drone.
It is alleged that surface ships and boats will be able to carry the new UAV. The latter circumstance indicates limited size and weight, corresponding to the capabilities of smaller combat units. In addition, taking into account the named class of unmanned system and the characteristics of the accumulated experience, it can be assumed that the new project uses a well-developed concept and architecture.
Launching a UAV from a ship. Photo: Tasnim News
Perhaps a small multicopter with remote control and a warhead is being developed. In this case, the new UAV could indeed be a naval version of an existing model already in service with ground units. Unification at the levels of concept and technology will give certain advantages associated with the production, development and operation of new devices.
The Russian army is armed with a number of light kamikaze drones with different features. Moreover, all such products have a similar design and common features. A promising product for the Navy may have the same appearance, tactical and technical characteristics and combat potential. In this case, it will be an unmanned platform with several electric propeller groups, a camera and remote control.
Adapting an existing design or general architecture for use on ships is not particularly difficult, but requires certain measures. First of all, a naval UAV needs improved on-board electronics. Navigation aids, optics and control devices must ensure flights over smooth water without visual references, search for surface targets and confidently defeat them. All-day optics will also be useful, allowing you to work at any time and in different conditions.
Special performance requirements may arise. A marine UAV must have sufficient speed and range. It also requires high maneuverability to hit a moving target. In addition, increased stability in flight is required for use in windy conditions.
Concept of a Chinese UAV carrier ship. Photo: Thedrive.com
As a warhead, common kamikaze drones use slightly modified ammunition of suitable weight and size. In addition, last year several enterprises began producing specialized warheads for a number of models for various purposes. They can also be used in a new project.
Finally, an expendable attack UAV should be simple and cheap. This will make it possible to produce it en masse and deploy it in large quantities among the troops. As the army's experience shows, high numbers are one of the advantages of unmanned systems of this kind.
Additional tool
The promising UAV should be considered as an additional weapon for the surface fleet. Thanks to it, ships and boats will be able to improve their combat qualities and increase other important parameters. In addition, we should expect an increase in combat effectiveness and security.
A kamikaze drone can take an intermediate position between a rifle weapons and artillery, and also show advantages over them. Thus, the UAV must be superior in range and power to any small-caliber guns or small-caliber weapons. Depending on the parameters of the installed warhead, it may be inferior in power to medium and large caliber artillery. At the same time, the drone is more likely to be able to deliver its warhead to the target. In the case of small and maneuvering targets, this is of critical importance.
As Izvestia writes, with the help of kamikaze drones, ships and boats will be able to hit various surface targets, including unmanned boats. The latter pose a threat to the fleet and are not the easiest target. Promising UAVs in conjunction with other weapons are quite capable of improving protection against such threats and reducing existing risks.
Thus, thanks to the new UAV, the ships and boats of our Navy will have the opportunity to expand the range of weapons on board and will be able to increase the efficiency of solving all major tasks. At the same time, it should be expected that in the future the idea of deploying kamikaze drones in the surface fleet will develop and lead to new interesting results. But for now, the main task in this direction is to complete the work on the current project.
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