UAVs in Russian Armed Forces: News #2

"Altius" is a heavy Russian long-range UAV with a maximum combat load of more than a ton. The UAV made its first flight in August 2019. In February 2020, the official website of the Russian defense Ministry reported that the final version of the drone was named "Altius-U". The deployment of production of a heavy reconnaissance and attack drone is planned to be carried out at the facilities of the Ural plant of civil aviation , which is currently engaged in development work on this topic.

Soon, the Russian aerospace forces will have a new heavy reconnaissance and attack UAV "Altius", which will receive elements of artificial intelligence (AI). the UAV will be able to operate autonomously without the participation of an operator, as well as independently interact with the promising Russian fifth-generation fighter su-57.


It is reported that the new reconnaissance and attack drone will be able to independently plot a route to a target or a given patrol area without the help of a human operator, bypassing the air defense zones of a possible enemy, as well as detect and attack important ground targets: missile launchers, communication nodes, headquarters. A device with such capabilities is not yet available to the Russian aerospace forces.


As reported by the newspaper "Izvestia» with reference to its own sources in the military-industrial complex, the country has already begun work on creating an updated version of the heavy reconnaissance and strike drone "Altius-U". The new UAV will receive elements of the AI system, and it will be possible to remotely control the device from the su-57 fighter. It is reported that all the necessary equipment that will give the UAV its "brains" will be installed on the device until the end of 2020, after which the period of technical testing of the new product will begin.

It is assumed that the elements of artificial intelligence will give the device new capabilities, including the ability to attack ground targets independently. Having obtained the coordinates of the target, the UAV will be able to use its onboard computer to create an algorithm for finding the optimal route to the target of attack, as well as calculate the most suitable point for dropping bombs.

All this the drone will be able to do without the help of an operator, while the combat drone will receive all the information from the headquarters about the air situation and the location of enemy air defense facilities in real time and build its flight, processing the incoming data. After completing the combat task, the heavy UAV will be able to return to the base in automatic mode along the safest route or return to the patrol zone and continue to solve reconnaissance tasks.


It is worth noting that currently military drones at all stages of flight try to control operators working from the ground. AI elements installed on Altius should help reduce the burden on operators of unmanned complexes, which is especially important for long flights and long patrols. For a large reconnaissance and strike vehicle, this is especially relevant, since such a UAV is able to stay in the sky for more than a day.


At the same time, today, not all the technical data of the UAV is still known. For example, in February 2018, the official website of the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation reported that the heavy UAV "Altius" will be able to carry up to two tons of combat load. But today in the press, including on the thematic site of the Ministry of defense "Zvezda", you can increasingly find other data about the payload of the device – up to 1000 kg.


The new Russian unmanned aerial vehicle Altius is built according to a classic aerodynamic scheme with a high-placed wing of large span and a V-shaped tail. It is known that "Altius" is built with a wide use of composite structural materials. The power plant of the device is represented by two turboprop engines located on the wing cantilevers, the engines drive two pull screws. Apparently, we are talking about VK-800S engines developed in the Klimov design Bureau. This engine is designed for installation on light aircraft and helicopters (version VK-800V) and produces a take-off power of 800 HP. The approximate wingspan of the UAV is up to 30 meters, the length is about 12 meters, and the take – off weight is more than six tons.


In 2019, the UZGA plant presented a modified version of the unmanned vehicle, which received a satellite communication system. With the use of such a system, the flight range OF the UAV "Altius" is limited only by the amount of fuel on Board. According to experts, the appearance of such a system allows a reconnaissance and strike drone to conduct reconnaissance and attack targets at a distance of hundreds or thousands of kilometers from its base. It is known that in the sky "Altius" can be from 24 to 48 hours, and the maximum range of its flight should be 10,000 kilometers. At the same time, the device will be able to conduct reconnaissance from a height of 12 thousand meters.


The features of the device also include its equipment with an inertial navigation system SP-2, which should reduce the possibility of detecting the device in the air, providing the UAV with additional resistance to induced interference and work in the conditions of electronic countermeasures from the enemy.

It is assumed that the UAV will be able to carry gliding bombs "Grom-2" with a total weight of 598 kg (mass of the warhead 480 kg) and a launch range of 10-50 km, or guided missiles "Grom-1" with a starting mass of 594 kg (mass of the warhead 315 kg) with a launch range of up to 120 km. This assumption was put forward by the journalists of Izvestiya.

It is planned that "Altius-U" will enter service not only with the VKS, but also with the Russian Navy.


https://topwar.ru/169438-altius-tjazhelyj-rossijskij-bespilotnik-s-iskusstvennym-intellektom.html

Rodion_Romanovic wrote:From what I understand the main issue with this UAV is that the diesel engine (that is the same as on the basic trainer yak-152) is produced in Germany (even if the designer is a russian engineer and it was developed mainly from russian investment money...)...

I already wrote in another post  (I don't remember if in this or in another thread) that there were plans to move production of such engine to Russia, but I do not know if there was any progress on this.

The issue is not only the assembly but also all the supply chain and so the production of parts and engine subsystems...


By the way even for large engine manufacturers many parts are only designed, but the productions are made by other companies, and the engine manufacturer is then responsible of checking them and  assembling everything together...

From what I understand the main issue with this UAV is that the diesel engine (that is the same as on the basic trainer yak-152) is produced in Germany (even if the designer is a russian engineer and it was developed mainly from russian investment money...)...

It now reportedly has the domestic VK-800S engines, which are also to be used on the L-410

"Solves the issue of sanctions risks": how is the development of a new Russian aircraft engine progressing
March 9, 2019, 01: 09
Alex Sakusen

In 2020, Russia plans to certify an aircraft with the latest VK-800 turboshaft engine. This was announced by the lead designer of the powerplant project Vitaly Loginov. In 2019, the unit should pass bench tests. VK-800 is a family of engines for light aircraft and helicopters with a load capacity of 1-1. 5 tons. Russian power plants should replace foreign engines. According to experts, the new engine will give an incentive for the development of the aviation industry and regional transportation, as well as reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers.

In Russia, the development of a small-sized turboshaft engine VK-800 is being completed. This was stated by the lead designer of the powerplant project Vitaly Loginov, speaking at a scientific and technical seminar at the Central Institute of aviation engine engineering (CIAM) named after PI Baranov. According to him, in 2020 it is planned to certify the aircraft equipped with the VK-800.

"A mock-up Commission has already been held with the participation of specialists from the CIAM certification center. This year, we expect to work closely with the Institute: we plan to use the CIAM and SIC CIAM stand base for conducting certification tests. Technical tasks have already been discussed and draft agreements have been sent out," Loginov said.

VK-800 is being developed at the Ural civil aviation plant (UZGA, Yekaterinburg) and UEC-Klimov (Saint Petersburg). In the near future, the aircraft-type engine (VK-800S) will be assembled "in iron" for certification tests.

"In 2018, the first prototype engines were tested, and more than 60 successful launches were performed on them. For conducting flight tests of the engine as part of the aircraft, two regional aviation aircraft have been allocated, one of them is being converted into a flying laboratory," the CIAM website says.

Serial production of the VK-800 will be launched immediately after receiving the certificate. The engine Assembly will be handled by the scientific and production center "Shovels. Compressors. Turbines" (near Volokolamsk). This enterprise produces most of the components for VK-800. The rest of the units are produced by Omsk engine-building design Bureau, UEC-Perm motors, Metalist-Samara, and UNPP Molniya (Bashkortostan).

"The development is focused on creating a modern reliable, lightweight and inexpensive fuel-efficient engine. The level of engine parameters is selected based on the application conditions of a used model of a centrifugal compressor and single-stage uncooled turbines. These features simplify the design of the engine and reduce the cost of its production and operation," the UEC — Klimov website notes.
Switching to a new family

VK-800 will become a turboshaft engine, which will be used to create powerplants for light-class aircraft and helicopters with a load capacity of 1-1. 5 tons. As Oleg Panteleev, Executive Director of AviaPort Agency, explained to RT, "this will be a family of engines based on a single gas generator."

"All powerplants will have a common dimension, but for each machine our engineers will develop a separate engine modification taking into account the specifics, flight mode, etc. Such unification is widely used in the world, as it allows you to reduce the cost of development and mass production, " Panteleev said.

At the moment, it is known that after the completion of certification tests, the VK-800 will be installed on the l-410UPV-E20 multi-purpose aircraft, whose production has been localized at the Ural civil aviation plant since 2016. This machine is widely used in the regions of the Russian Federation for transporting cargo (about 1 ton) and passengers (up to 19 people). The Ministry of defense also owns a small fleet of aircraft.

The L-410 was created by the Czechoslovak enterprise Let (now Aircraft Industries) in the late 1960s for local airlines of the socialist camp countries. The main customer of this machine was the Soviet Union. Over 800 units were sold in the USSR.

The L-410 proved to be an economical, unpretentious and user-friendly multi-purpose aircraft. Due to the high demand, it has been repeatedly improved. Currently, 100% of the shares of Let Kunovice belong to the Ural mining and metallurgical company.

"The L-410 is an extremely successful aircraft, especially for Russian conditions. The need for it is still very great. When installing new avionics and replacing individual units and assemblies, this is a modern machine with a good export potential. It is quite logical that Russia has decided to localize production of the L-410 in the Urals, " Panteleev said.

The development of the Russian engine is important, because now the L-410 is equipped with M601 and H80 engines of the Czech company GE Aviation Czech (Walter), which is part of the division of the American Corporation General Electric. The appearance of the VK-800 will save UZGA from the need to purchase foreign units.

According to "UEC-Klimov", the VK-800 line is planned to equip light multi-purpose helicopters "Ansat", Ka-226, Ka-126 (Ka-128), Mi-54 and other domestic rotorcraft, which are now being put on foreign engines. Thus, the Ansat is equipped with an American PW-207K unit, and the Ka-226 is flown by Rolls-Royce (great Britain) and Safran Helicopter Engines (France).

"Unfortunately, Russia was almost deprived of its own engines for light-class aircraft. These are echoes of insufficient attention to small aircraft on the part of the Soviet state and a consequence of the economic collapse of the 1990s. As a result, our industry was forced to create helicopters without domestic engines," Vladimir Popov, an honored pilot of the Russian Federation, explained in an interview with RT.

However, the expert is sure that with the beginning of the serial production of the VK-800, the situation will change dramatically.

According to him, the transition of domestic aviation to a new family of power plants will be completed during the 2020s. Western sanctions, according to Popov, will only give a positive dynamic to the process of import substitution.

"Thanks to the VK-800, the aviation industry will receive an additional incentive for development. Now all light helicopters and aircraft can be fitted with domestic engines that are no worse than imported ones. We can expect that after this, the demand for light — class aircraft products will increase, including from state customers, including law enforcement agencies that prefer not to buy equipment with foreign aggregates," Popov said.
"In fact, the new generation»

VK-800S surpasses its foreign counterparts in a number of characteristics — takeoff power (900 HP against 850 HP in the Czech H80) and economy. As for the specific fuel consumption, the Russian engine it is 0.243 kg/HP per hour, while the H80-0.269, M601F-0.287. According to experts, the VK-800S meets all modern requirements.

In the coming years, Russian engineers plan to develop more advanced modifications of the VK-800. Speaking at the CIAM conference, Yuri Ravikovich, Vice-rector for research at the MAI, proposed to abandon the oil system and create a " dry " engine — this type of unit is characterized by increased power and reliability.

"If we talk about helicopter manufacturing, the VK-800 is actually a new generation for our country. UEC-Klimov has extensive experience and serious competence in the production of engines such as the TV2-117 and TV3-117. But these are Soviet-era powerplants, and the VK-2500 was created in 2001 in cooperation with the Zaporozhye "Motor-Sich". In turn, the VK-800 is being created, so to speak, from scratch. Moreover, all components, according to the developer, will be Russian, " Panteleev said.

According to CIAM, " the creation of a family of engines based on the VK-800 gas turbine for aviation equipment has become a tool for solving the state task of developing the national transport network, in particular in the regions of Siberia and the Far East."

The project is directly supported by the Ministry of industry and trade.

Vladimir Popov is convinced that the appearance of the VK-800 on the market will stimulate the development of small aircraft and intraregional transportation in the Russian Federation. According to him, the new domestic engine will naturally remove the restrictions that exist for aircraft manufacturers due to their dependence on foreign products.

"I think that the VK-800 family will be competitive and with proper state support will displace Western engines from the domestic market. The account will go for hundreds of units, which means that the funds invested in the development will pay off fairly quickly. In addition, we completely close the issue of sanctions risks. Great prospects open up for small aircraft, which plays the role of the circulatory system in the economy of our regions, " Popov stressed.

The VK-800 is intended for light-class aircraft: Ka-26, Ka-126, Ka-226, Mi-54 and Ansat helicopters, as well as aircraft for the L-410 and Altair UAVs. In addition, the engine will be installed on a new multi-purpose light aircraft, which is being developed to replace the famous "An-2".



http://russiagoodnews.ru/2020/03/21/vk-800-rossijskij-gazoturbinnyj-legkij-aviadvigatel-novogo-pokoleniya/

the TVS-2-DT (An-2MS) is the aircraft and has a honeywell engine in it currently which produces 1,100shp and this new proposed engine is 850shp thats quite a drop in power, and the TVS is advrtised to carry 3.5tons will this new engine be capable?

And although u most likely find aircraft rarely fly to its full capacity it's always handy to have that capability of 3.5ton.

I really do think that the new IL-112 and tvs dts aircrafts will be great sellers on export market once they are for sale. Many countries have used, still using both An-2 and An24/26 and are looking to replace.

It is not a problem the drop in power between the an2 and the new baikal aircraft, as there are limitations in the regulations for newly built aircraft with only one engine. That means that even with a bigger engine they will not be allowed to carry more than 9 people, unless a special exception to the rule is approved for it (not really useful, also because Russia has also no available engine currently in the exact power range needed by the old an2)

GarryB wrote:This is a bit off topic so how about we switch tacks and wonder why for a low speed drone they don't use a biplane planform...

GarryB wrote:Well that is a brilliant design if, as I am guessing... those big propfans rotate to allow vertical takeoff and landing...

And those wingtips look like the fold up for compact storage on deck too... the horizontal hole in the fuselage tail area probably has a fan for yaw control at low speeds... nice...