Service in delivery: a drone for cargo transfer has been tested on the front line
A new cargo drone has been tested in a special military operation zone. It can carry up to 20 kilograms of payload and is used to airlift ammunition, provisions and other necessary supplies. The new vehicle is already being used to supply Russian units in one of the directions in the air defense zone. Experts note that robotic delivery is especially relevant now - it helps save the lives of our fighters.
Characteristics of the drone-cargo carrier
The new UAV is a quadrocopter with two types of frames for cargoes of different sizes. The drone is fast enough - it can accelerate up to 60-70 km/h with a load. Payload capacity - 20 kg. If necessary, the copter can also be used for dropping ammunition - the power of its motors will allow it to lift two TM-62 anti-tank mines into the air and deliver them to the target.
The Ukrainian Baba Yaga agrodrone, adapted by the enemy for such actions, is much slower - with a load its speed does not exceed 40 km/h.
- "The UAV in the special operation zone is already being used to supply forward positions with water, food, ammunition and other cargo," a representative of the company producing the cargo drones, Guardians LLC, told Izvestia. - "Zelenka (foliage. - Ed.) is over, so now the work of fighters engaged in supply is very difficult. Our machine is in special demand now.
The range of the new quadrocopter - up to 10 kilometers, the manufacturers note.
- It is limited by the radio path - at a greater distance there is a great chance of losing control of the drone, - they explain. - This is a very good indicator. Such factory-made devices, such as DJI Inspire, on which a large number of designers worked, the range of about 5 km.
The drone's radio channel has high interference immunity.
- We can use at the customer's request any segment of frequencies and powers that are currently in use, - noted in the manufacturing company.
When manufacturing the drone, mainly domestic components are used.
- We are minimally dependent on sanctions, - said the representative of the company. - Foreign components that we use are not subject to economic restrictions imposed on our country.
UAVs for supplying units on the front line
Military expert Yury Lyamin told Izvestia that the issues of uninterrupted supply of units standing on the very first line, i.e. in trenches located directly in front of the enemy, are of great importance.
- Now a large number of drones are operating on the front line on both sides, trying to inflict maximum damage and cut off ordinary soldiers from the rear, make it difficult to approach the equipment," he said. - Reconnaissance drones are hovering over the front line, ready to call for artillery and mortar fire at any moment, "kamikaze" drones and quadrocopters with drops are prowling around. And they operate at any time of day. Thermal imagers allow to find not only equipment, which is easier because of its size and thermal characteristics, but also groups or even single fighters. As a result, the zone several kilometers from the front line is as dangerous as possible. Even single fighters are attacked.
Delivery of water, minimal food and ammunition to a trench on the front line can turn into a mini-operation involving a great risk to the lives of fighters, the expert noted.
- In this situation, it is important to establish robotic delivery," said Yuri Lyamin. - Of course, some equipment will be lost in the course of it, but it is "hardware", not people.
Servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
There are already ground delivery robots on caterpillar or wheeled platforms, the expert noted.
- But cargo UAVs, in my opinion, are more efficient," said Yuri Lyamin. - They are faster, if only because they can fly directly from point A to point B, and do not depend on the condition of roads, terrain, impassable debris in urban development, which must be overcome or bypassed.
Yuri Lyamin believes that powerful cargo UAVs, with the help of which it is possible to establish uninterrupted supply, will help save the lives of fighters.
- A sufficiently large payload of 20 kilograms is a good thing," he said. - Right now, the Maviks carry literally one bottle of water at a time to the front lines; they can't lift more than that. But such transportation will not solve much, and the probability of losing expensive drones is high, as they are constantly in the zone of counteraction to drones.
Development of new drones
Now in Russia, a large number of drones are being developed, including cargo drones. In particular, earlier "Izvestia" wrote about the UAV "Motylek", capable of carrying up to 300 kg of payload. It is a quadrocopter equipped with four 60-kilowatt engines, which are capable of lifting a device with a takeoff weight of up to 600 kg into the air. The drone's body is made of aluminum. In addition, a new system for controlling the drone's engines is being developed. Now controllers of Chinese manufacture are used for control, but in the near future they will be replaced by a Russian analog.
Flight time and range depend on the number of batteries installed. According to the developer's assurances, the drone can fly a distance of up to 150 km.
Such a drone can be primarily used to provide logistics and supply troops on the front line or in hard-to-reach places. The device can land on a small unprepared site, where it will be quickly unloaded, and fly away. The UAV can also be used to drop powerful munitions in the absence of a serious air defense system or in night conditions - a feature that makes the vehicle as versatile as possible.
