Russia turns to creative solutions to fill UAV capability gaps
Sourcing drones from Iran is one answer to Russia's UAS problems. This light quadcopter was displayed at Army-2022 event near Moscow and is capable of carrying a 1-7kg payload with endurance of 30-60min. Note the mortar round under the fuselage. (Photo: via author)
Deals with Iran and using regional government funds to bypass traditional defence procurement channels are some of the ways Russia is trying to fill its qualitative and quantitative drone capability gaps.
As the scale and intensity of the war in Ukraine has expanded, the need for multiple classes of UAVs at tactical and operational levels is increasingly clear. However, the ongoing conflict has revealed the inability of the Russian defence industry to produce a full spectrum of UAS in the required quantities, on time or meeting MoD specifications.
The severity of the problem was recently officially acknowledged. ‘Most of the unmanned aircraft produced in Russia do not meet the tactical and technical requirements of the Ministry of Defence,’ said Col Igor Ishchuk on 27 September during the round table ‘Prospects for the development of technologies
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Air Warfare
-
![UK finalises Airbus H145 helicopter order while NMH programme timeline continues to slip]()
UK finalises Airbus H145 helicopter order while NMH programme timeline continues to slip
The UK signed a $150 million contract for six Airbus H145 helicopters to enhance military operations in Brunei and Cyprus, replacing aging Puma HC2s. At the same time, questions remain over the fate of the New Medium Helicopter programme amidst uncertainties surrounding procurement plans and delivery timelines.
-
![New Turkish Kemankes loitering munition begins testing]()
New Turkish Kemankes loitering munition begins testing
The Kemankes 2 was said to be designed to conduct deep-strike missions on high-priority targets.
-
![NATO progresses effort to replace E-3A AWACS fleet]()
NATO progresses effort to replace E-3A AWACS fleet
NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet has been scheduled for retirement from 2035. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has been leading the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) project to develop new options for future surveillance and control capabilities, based on future technology and requirements.
