UAVs in Russian Armed Forces: News #3

Unpretentiousness and reliability: the developer talks about new Russian piston engines for UAVs, by Alexey Zakvasin, Ekaterina Komarova for RT in Russian. 06.25.2023.

Specialists of the Samara National Research University. Academician S.P. Korolev plans to develop a line of piston engines for UAVs with a power of up to 50 hp. Mikhail Orlov, associate professor of the department of heat engineering and thermal engines of the university, spoke about this in an interview with RT. According to him, at the moment, engineers have created a base engine with a capacity of 5 liters.The product uses relatively simple, but at the same time effective solutions. The result, as Orlov noted, is a light, inexpensive engine that is resistant to external electromagnetic influences and adapted for mass production.

— The Department of Thermal Engineering and Engine Theory of Samara University has developed a small-sized piston engine for UAVs. What dictated the need for such a power unit? What drones is it for?

- An experimental piston engine was developed by university staff as part of the Priority 2030 program. It is intended for small unmanned aerial vehicles of an airplane or helicopter type, which can be used in many areas - primarily where observation of various objects is required using radio, optical and infrared methods.

In addition to UAVs, such an engine can be used on walk-behind tractors, cultivators, chainsaws, that is, products that are currently mainly supplied from abroad. Our plans are to create a family of piston engines based on the base unit with a capacity of 5 hp. In this way, we will be able to solve a number of important problems related, among other things, to import substitution in the field of both drones and other products, such as ground-based petrol equipment.

A group led by me, consisting of employees of the Department of Thermal Engineering and Engine Theory Alexey Gorshkalev, Viktor Urlapkin and Sergey Korneev, is working on the project.

— You spoke about plans to create a family of piston engines. That is, in the future you intend to increase the capacity of the current experimental unit?

Yes, there are such plans. In the future, we want to increase engine power by moving from a single-cylinder design to a multi-cylinder one, as well as by increasing the working volume of the cylinder by changing its diameter and piston stroke.

We also considered options for forcing the engine in terms of speed. Having worked out the working process of the engine on a single-cylinder scheme, we will be able to implement these plans.

Our team proceeds from the understanding of the unusually high relevance of the appearance in Russia of piston engines in the power range from 5 to 50 hp. With.

Designers know that designing an aircraft starts with choosing the right engine. But for Russian developers of UAVs, imported engines of this class are now unavailable, either because of exorbitant prices, or due to the cessation of supplies to the country. As for Russian developments, there are practically none in this niche now.

- Why is it necessary to install piston engines on UAVs, and not electric motors more available on the market?

- The question of which engines and where to install is always decided in the course of a comprehensive analysis of the purpose of the UAV and the characteristics specified for it. Both electric and piston engines have both advantages and disadvantages. As for our development, the task here was to create an unpretentious and reliable power plant that does not depend on battery charging and other similar factors.

The experimental engine uses time-tested, relatively simple, but effective solutions. This is a lightweight, inexpensive unit with a high liter capacity, resistant to external electromagnetic influences. The engine design is highly maintainable and well adapted for mass production.

To achieve these characteristics, a carbureted power system was used, which is preferable to a modern fuel injection system. Also in the design of the engine, we used a steel sleeve in combination with an aluminum cylinder block. This allows, on the one hand, to achieve a reduction in weight, on the other hand, to increase maintainability and, which is very important, to simplify the manufacturing technologies for the main components that determine the basic characteristics of the engine.

- Are there any necessary components in Russia for assembling your piston unit?

- We designed the engine in such a way as to correct some of the shortcomings of foreign designs and use domestic technologies. The composition of piston engine systems, however, as well as existing similar designs, is standard. This is a crank mechanism, a gas distribution mechanism, a power system, and so on.

If we talk about components for assembling an engine of a similar dimension, then they are basically not purchased on the side, but are produced for a specific design. It is impossible to assemble a new engine like Lego. Therefore, now we are looking for a partner - an enterprise with the ability to produce the necessary components and assemble the engines themselves.

There are such enterprises in the Samara region, but I would like them to be interested in solving such problems. Let me remind you that earlier it was here, in Samara (Kuibyshev), that both piston engines for aircraft and Vikhr outboard engines were produced.

— I can't help but ask about the competencies of the Samara National University in the field of piston units. Indeed, in Russia, CIAM traditionally deals with piston topics ...

Of course, in Russia there are a number of serious organizations and enterprises that deal with aviation piston engines: these are TsIAM, and Agat (Gavrilov-Yamsky Machine-Building Plant), and UZGA (Ural Civil Aviation Plant), and other organizations. But not all niches in the market are occupied.

We want to work in our niche in terms of power, which allows us to develop engines for a wide range of applications. And to solve this problem, we have all the competencies.

Since 1942, our university has been training specialists in piston engines. And we did not stop working on them, despite the fact that in domestic aviation for several decades priority has been given to the development of gas turbine engines. By the way, in the gas turbine theme Samara University. The queen is in very high positions.

We are familiar with modern design methods, calculation methods, designs of various engines and their capabilities. In addition, we have been cooperating for many years with enterprises that produce both aircraft and automobile engines. Finally, we had people who created in the 1980s an engine for the first domestic drone, Pchela-1T, and we adopted their experience.

Let me remind you that Pchela-1T was the first Russian small-sized drone equipped with an on-board surveillance television camera with real-time transmission of information to the control point.

Naturally, we will rely not only on our own strength. We are counting on cooperation with domestic enterprises and are now trying to establish contacts with them.

Another thing is that the creation and production of any engines is a very difficult technical task. And our enterprises are heavily loaded with the production of products that are needed today. But, looking to the future, we believe that these problems will be solved, because the Russian Federation had and should have all the necessary engines for UAVs. All power units must be Russian. Only in this case we will not depend on pressure from geopolitical opponents.

https://russian.rt.com/russia/article/1166071-porshnevoi-dvigatel-bpla-samara

They added mirrors in that room to make it feel like there are hundreds of them. The production is IMO still low. They produce enough too hunt nato systems and AD but not enough to use it on any target out there.

That number of 200 thousands - 1 million is a joke.

100 hundred per months is more realistic if we look at all the videos on twitter. This is lower but still very impressive. If they can take out 1 vehicle with it then 100 vehicles per month is a huge loss for any military.

1. A shopping center with an area of about 50,000 square meters was purchased for the production of "Lancets". Not a penny of funds from the Russian budget has been spent on the deployment of this production.
2. A series of combat tests on the fully automatic use of the Lancet UAV has already been conducted.
3. The next generation of "Lancet" will be integrated into swarm, which uses automatic identification and distribution of targets within swarm.
4. The production of "Lancets" has increased by more than 50 times since the beginning of the SVO.
5. Currently, several "Lancets" are already ready for each unit of armored vehicles that Western countries promise to deliver to Ukraine in the future.
6. Currently, there are more than 400 confirmed cases of hitting targets using Lancet UAVs in open sources alone. One of the combat crews claims that they have more than 90 pieces of destroyed equipment on their account - from pickups to radar stations and tanks.
7. Currently, there is interest in export orders of "Lancets" from customers from several continents. Negotiations are underway, but in any case, the main priority is supplies for the Russian army.

“Detect and suppress”: a new small-sized anti-drone complex is being created in Russia, by Alexey Zakvasin, Elizaveta Komarova for RT Russia. 07.26.2023.

Russian specialists are creating a new complex that will be able to detect and suppress small-sized UAVs, said Andrey Komogortsev, general director of the Rybinsk Instrument Making Plant. The product will consist of a compact radar and a suppression module. According to experts, an important advantage of the complex will be the combination of the functions of detecting and neutralizing UAVs. Such a system will be relevant for the protection of a variety of stationary facilities, including civilian ones.

Ruselectronics holding (part of Rostec) is developing a portable system that can detect and suppress small drones. This is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the general director of the Rybinsk Instrument-Making Plant Andrei Komogortsev.

The new system will consist of a radar station (RLS) and a UAV control signal suppression module.

“We started work on creating a suppression module when the first prototype of a mobile radar was ready. Now it is at the final stage, and by the end of the third quarter of this year we plan to present a single complex that can detect and suppress,” Komogortsev said.

The radar is a portable multifunctional product. The mass of the station with a rotary device and batteries does not exceed 25 kg. According to Komogortsev, during the tests, the radar was able to detect a device of the DJI Mini type with dimensions of 16 × 20 cm.

“The station is guaranteed to see and accompany him at a distance of up to 500 m in motion and up to 250 m in a hovering state, including in urban areas,” said the general director of the Rybinsk Instrument Making Plant.

In a RT commentary, the head of the Center for Unmanned Aviation, adviser to the Russian Academy of Engineering Maxim Kondratiev, said that the main advantage of the product of the Ruselectronics holding would be the combination of the functions of detecting and neutralizing UAVs. According to the expert, the development of the Rybinsk Instrument-Making Plant will improve the protection of a wide variety of stationary facilities, including civilian ones.

“As far as I understand, the Rybinsk Instrument Engineering Plant is creating a small-sized electronic warfare tool (electronic warfare. - RT ). Detection occurs using radar. Moreover, the locator certainly captures even those drones that fly in radio silence mode. After that, the suppression module is turned on, the drone loses contact with the operator and ceases to orient itself in space. This is a very necessary and very relevant development,” said Kondratiev.

Looking for new solutions
 
According to experts interviewed by RT, portable anti-UAV systems will become extremely popular equipment in the NVO zone. The need for such devices is extremely high due to the mass distribution of various shock “birds”, which have become serious enemies for snipers, infantry, and even heavy military equipment.

In particular, both sides of the conflict use kamikaze drones, FPV drones and other small devices that are needed for reconnaissance, target designation and relaying radio signals.

“On such a scale as now, drones have not yet been used. We see how rapidly technologies in this area are developing, how quickly the tactics of using drones are changing. Naturally, there is a need to equip the troops with new means of countering these threats, ”explained Maxim Kondratiev.

To combat enemy UAVs, the RF Armed Forces use a fairly wide range of weapons: anti-aircraft installations (ZU), electronic warfare equipment and standard military air defense systems (ZRPK Pantsir, ZRK Tor, Osa, modernized versions of the Buk) and anti- drone guns .

At the same time, a new technique for countering drones appears. For example, the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant (KEMZ) has created a complex with a universal remote-controlled combat module with an automatic guidance system and tactical augmented reality glasses. Information about this development was presented in the journal "Military Thought" at the beginning of this year.

According to the publication, the central computer system (CVS) is integrated into the combat module, which "determines the parameters of air targets, the best options for their destruction and issues target designation to the operator." The probability of hitting a UAV when using such a system is 85-90%.

“The operator, using tactical augmented reality glasses, sees these targets (the program highlights them) and selects the most important of them at the moment. The upgraded ZU-23 (anti-aircraft gun, weapon of the combat module. - RT ) itself leads this target to the lead point, and the operator only has to press the button to open fire to defeat it, ”the Military Thought article says.

The anti-drone complex is mounted on the chassis of the Typhoon-VDV armored car, but, according to the developer, it can also be installed on other armoured vehicles.

In the future, the designers of KEMZ plan to create the appearance of a combined mini-UAV countermeasure system. It will include several armored vehicles of the Typhoon type with combat modules for remote control, automatic aiming and air targeting, microwave detection devices, tracking and suppression of drones, a low-power laser and Verba MANPADS.

As Dmitry Kornev, founder of the Military Russia portal, explained in a commentary to RT, the SVO dictates the need to develop new mobile means of combating drones, including small-sized samples. According to him, traditional air defense systems can also be used quite effectively for these purposes, but this is not economically feasible.

“All UAVs, if they were detected in a timely manner, in principle, are easily hit by anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAMs). But this is a wasteful way of defense, and the ammunition load of the air defense system on the battlefield is not unlimited. For this reason, many variations of new technology are currently being developed, and it is still difficult to say unequivocally which one will be effective. However, the general principles are clear even now: it is cheapness, compactness and ease of use,” Kornev believes.

Based on combat experience
 
Scientists from Penza State University are also developing a new way to combat small-sized UAVs . The engineering team of this university has patented a 57-mm projectile, which is said to be guaranteed to defeat devices like Mavic and DJI. The peculiarity of the cartridge is that it provides several means of incapacitating enemy "birds" at once.

“The drone’s electronics should be disabled by an electromagnetic pulse (directional disturbance of an electromagnetic field. - RT ) and the detonation of an electromagnetic generator - a device that is a coil of copper wire wound around a cone, inside of which there is a metal cylinder with explosives,” he said earlier in an interview RT Professor of PSU, Doctor of Technical Sciences Nikolai Yurkov.

According to the scientist, the optics of the drone will be blinded by sprayed highly dispersed paint. Also, the ammunition will be able to create a cloud of fragments, "having met with which, the drone will definitely not survive."

According to Kornev, Russian technology really needs new ammunition with remote detonation. However, mini-UAVs can be hit by structurally simpler projectiles made in a smaller caliber. Along with this, small-sized laser systems and portable electronic warfare equipment are capable of effectively combating drones.

Recall that before the special operation, the Ruselectronics holding developed the Rat multifunctional mobile anti-drone system with a directed laser destruction system. As reported on the Rostec website, this anti-drone device has a full range of means for detecting and suppressing UAVs. "Rat" can detect drones at a distance of up to 3.5 km, as well as suppress the control channels of devices within a radius of up to 2.5 km.

“The novelty includes a radar station, a complex for automatic recognition and suppression of telecommunication channels, a directional microwave suppression system and a directional laser destruction system. All equipment is integrated into a single intelligent system for collecting, processing and displaying information, ”the materials of the state corporation say.

Another development of Ruselectronics is the Zashchita mobile complex, which fits in three cases. The system sees drones in a 360° range at a distance of 2 km. The device can determine the location of the drone control panel and break the communication channel with it.

At the same time, "Protection" does not use an unmasking active radar - signal suppression occurs "according to the sectoral principle", which makes it possible to target specific intruder drones. The complex was first presented in 2021 at the Army-2021 forum. As expected , in August this year, at the Army-2023 forum, the holding will demonstrate an upgraded version of the system.

According to Kornev, most of the novelties of the Russian industry in the field of combating UAVs are being tested in the NVO zone.

“Developments in the field of combating small birds are not always public, and the experience of combat use of even well-known samples is probably completely classified information. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that, due to the particular urgency of the problem of countering drones in the NWO zone, everything that has been presented in recent years is used. At the same time, new and modernized samples are created taking into account the combat experience already gained," concluded Kornev.

https://russian.rt.com/russia/article/1179308-reb-borba-drony-svo

Russia Unveils Cutting-Edge UAV Fitted With Neural Network-Based Object Identification System, by Oleg Burunov for Sputnikglobe.com. 08.15.2023.

This unmanned aerial vehicle’s maximum flying time stands at six hours as the drone is powered by petrol, something that enables an operator to conduct meticulous surveillance of a certain area.

The Russian company, Svyaz-Spetszashchita (Communication-Special Defense), has developed a new drone that can be powered both by batteries and gasoline, the firm’s Marketing Head Dmitry Zubarev told Sputnik on Tuesday.

The dual-purpose drone (which means it is designed for civilian or military goals) is currently on display at the ongoing military-technical forum Army-2023 in Kubinka outside Moscow.

“As this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is powered by petrol, its maximum flying time is up to six hours, which makes it possible to effectively implement surveillance-related tasks,” Zubarev said.

He stressed that the UAV is capable of transporting two smaller attack drones, in what the Svyaz-Spetszashchita Zubarev described as a “highly-desired feature nowadays”.

“When spotting ‘an object of interest’, the UAV sends a smaller drone to the area where the object was tracked and returns to the base,” Zubarev explained, adding that the UAV is equipped with neural network-based object identification system.

Various attack drones are now widely used by the Russian Armed Forces in the special military operation zone in Ukraine.

UAVs like these, including Russia's Lancet drones, played a significant role in crippling Kiev’s counteroffensive, which, failed to make any sort of progress as tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have already been killed or wounded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230815/russia-unveils-cutting-edge-uav-fitted-with-neural-network-based-object-identification-system-1112616500.html

Product-53: What are Capabilities of Next-Gen Variant of Russia’s Lancet Kamikaze Drone?, by Ilya Tsukanov for Sputnikglobe.com. 08.16.2023.

Over the past two-and-a-half months, the Lancet loitering munition/kamikaze attack drone has wreaked havoc on Ukrainian forces attempting to mount a counteroffensive. Now, Russian drone designers have unveiled a next-gen variant. What are its characteristics? What new additional capabilities will it provide Russian troops? Sputnik explores.

Russia’s distinctive Lancet dual X-wing drones have proven instrumental in blunting Ukraine’s counteroffensive, to the point where even the propaganda arm of the US State Department and members of the Volodymyr Zelensky government have been forced to admit it.

“I heard from the military about the problems created by Russian UAVs for our forces, in particular the Lancet attack drone and Orlan reconnaissance drone. This is a threat that we cannot ignore,” a Zelensky aide said Tuesday. Kiev is handing whatever intelligence it can gather on the Russian drones to its Western “partners,” the official added.

Created by ZALA AERO, a Kalashnikov Concern subsidiary based in Izhevsk and specializing in the production of drones and drone jammer systems for both military and civilian applications, Lancets have a flight range of between 40 and 70 kilometers, an endurance time of about one hour, and a weapons payload of between three and five kilograms.

The unique drones, distinguishable by their X-pattern wings, come in several configurations, including Izdeliye-51 (lit. "Product-51"), also known as Lancet-3, a 12-kilogram drone featuring one large X-shaped wing and a small rear X-shaped stabilizer wing, and Izdeliye-52 (Lancet-1), a miniaturized version of the drone with a takeoff weight of 5 kg, and featuring two sets of smaller X-shaped wings, and the ability to perform a near vertical dive. Both drones feature a camera-guidance head/nose section with optical-electronic and TV guidance systems, and are powered by low-noise electric motors. Lancets can target troops, light and heavy armor, fortified positions, and even enemy heavy attack drones.

What is Izdeliye-53?

This week at the Army-2023 International Military Technical Forum, Russian drone manufacturers unveiled a number of new unmanned aerial vehicles. Among them is Izdeliye-53, also called Z-53), a next-gen loitering munition developed by ZALA Aero affiliate Aeroscan, serving as the next step in the evolution of the Lancet – and one which, designers hope, will become nearly impossible to stop.

A promotional video of the UAV by the company shows off the new drone’s distinctive geometric properties, again featuring four large forward-mounted wings, but this time mounted at 45 degree angles, rather than in an X configuration, and unfolding upon launch. No rear stabilizer winglets are present this time. Thrust upward and forward by a rear-facing propeller, the drones feature a bulbous, downward-facing camera for mapping their surrounding environment and finding targets.

Capable of carrying payloads of up to five kilograms, the drones are designed to fly in groups, and communicate and coordinate with one another to seek out and assign ground-based targets, from enemy anti-air and rocket artillery installations to armour.

Unlike current-generation Lancets, which are launched from a special pneumatic rail, Z-53s are deployed from small, ground-based tubes, similar in configuration to mortars, and are light enough to be carried around – either as tube launchers, or 2x2 batteries, using light vehicles. Their sealed transport tubes are used for storage, transportation, and launch of the UAVs, meaning that no field assembly is required.

What is Network-Centric Warfare?

Developers say their new drone is based on the principles of network-centric warfare – a concept allowing for a swarm of kamikaze drones united by a single neural network to operate in coordination with one another.

More broadly speaking, network-centric warfare is a resource-intensive military doctrine aimed at translating armies’ informational advantage, gained through the effective use of communications, networking, and advanced sensors, into a battlefield advantage that allows for improved situational awareness, quicker delivery of commands, deployment, and fire on the one hand, and survivability on the other.

Can the New Lancet Be Stopped?

“The main thing about the drones is their ease of use. The ease of use and almost complete autonomy from any means of counteraction. That is, it will be almost impossible to fight against them,” ZALA Aero chief designer Alexander Zakharov told Russian television last month in a teaser report on the new drone.

“That is, it will feature some secure channel?” Zakharov’s interviewer asked. “I won’t get into details, but in general it will be practically impossible to fight against them,” the designer reiterated.

Zakharov explained that the operator’s role will be to input commands regarding the area of the operations, and the types of targets to be engaged (for example, only armor, artillery, radar or air defense systems), with the UAVs approaching the target area and independently making determinations about which enemy equipment to target, including based on priority classifications.

The designer revealed that the Z-53 cannot be suppressed using enemy electronic warfare, since its main computing circuit is on board and capable of operations independently.

On top of that, he said, capturing an Izdeliye-53 drone and looking inside shouldn’t allow the enemy to learn its secrets, due to a “number of degrees of protection and security permissions.”

The designer noted that the UAV has already undergone a series of combat tests. And that means that no matter how many tens of billions of dollars in additional military equipment NATO gives Ukraine for the proxy war against Russia, the Russian military will have the capability to destroy it.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230816/product-53-what-are-capabilities-of-next-gen-variant-of-russias-lancet-kamikaze-drone-1112639748.html