New combat aircraft. Rating of the deadliest drones

AT last years a large number of publications have appeared on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for solving topographic problems. Such interest is largely due to their ease of operation, efficiency, relatively low cost, efficiency, etc. The listed qualities and the availability of effective software tools for automatic processing of aerial photography materials (including the selection of necessary points) open up the possibility of a wide use of software and hardware tools for unmanned aircraft in the practice of engineering and geodetic surveys.

In this issue, with an overview of the technical means of unmanned aircraft, we open a series of publications on the capabilities of UAVs and the experience of their use in field and cameral work.

D.P. INOZEMTSEV, Project Manager, PLAZ LLC, Moscow St. Petersburg

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES: THEORY AND PRACTICE

Part 1. Overview of technical means

HISTORY REFERENCE

Unmanned aircrafts came about due to the need effective solution military tasks - tactical reconnaissance, delivery to the destination military weapons(bombs, torpedoes, etc.), combat control, etc. And it is no coincidence that their first use is considered to be the delivery of bombs by Austrian troops to besieged Venice with the help of balloons in 1849. A powerful impetus to the development of UAVs was the emergence of radiotelegraphy and aviation, which made it possible to significantly improve their autonomy and controllability.

So, in 1898, Nikola Tesla developed and demonstrated a miniature radio-controlled ship, and already in 1910, the American military engineer Charles Kettering proposed, built and tested several models of unmanned aerial vehicles. In 1933, the first UAV was developed in the UK.

reusable, and the radio-controlled target created on its basis was used in the Royal Navy of Great Britain until 1943.

For several decades ahead of their time, the research of German scientists, who gave the world in the 1940s a jet engine and cruise missile"V-1" as the first unmanned aerial vehicle used in real combat operations.

In the USSR, in the 1930s–1940s, aircraft designer Nikitin developed a torpedo bomber-glider of the “flying wing” type, and by the beginning of the 40s, a project for an unmanned flying torpedo with a flight range of 100 kilometers and more was prepared, but these developments did not turn into real designs.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War Interest in UAVs has increased significantly, and since the 1960s, they have been widely used to solve non-military tasks.

In general, the history of the UAV can be divided into four time periods:

1.1849 - the beginning of the twentieth century - attempts and experimental experiments to create a UAV, the formation of the theoretical foundations of aerodynamics, flight theory and aircraft calculation in the works of scientists.

2. The beginning of the twentieth century - 1945 - the development of UAVs for military purposes (aircraft-projectiles with a short range and flight duration).

3.1945–1960 - the period of expanding the classification of UAVs for their intended purpose and creating them mainly for reconnaissance operations.

4.1960 years - today - the expansion of the classification and improvement of the UAV, the beginning of mass use for solving non-military problems.

UAV CLASSIFICATION

It is well known that aerial photography, as a type of remote sensing of the Earth (ERS), is the most productive method for collecting spatial information, the basis for creating topographic plans and maps, creating three-dimensional relief and terrain models. Aerial photography is carried out both from manned aircraft - airplanes, airships, motor hang gliders and balloons, and from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Unmanned aerial vehicles, like manned ones, are of aircraft and helicopter type (helicopters and multicopters are aircraft with four or more rotors with rotors). At present, there is no generally accepted classification of aircraft-type UAVs in Russia. Missiles.

Ru together with the portal UAV.RU offers modern classification Aircraft-type UAV developed based on the approaches of UAV International, but taking into account the specifics and situation of the domestic market (classes) (Table 1):

Short range micro and mini UAVs. The class of miniature ultralight and light vehicles and complexes based on them with a takeoff weight of up to 5 kilograms began to appear in Russia relatively recently, but already quite

widely presented. Such UAVs are designed for individual operational use at short ranges at a distance of up to 25–40 kilometers. They are easy to operate and transport, are foldable and are positioned as "wearable", the launch is carried out using a catapult or by hand. These include: Geoscan 101, Geoscan 201, 101ZALA 421-11, ZALA 421-08, ZALA 421-12, T23 Eleron, T25, Eleron-3, Gamayun-3, Irkut-2M, " Istra-10",

"BRAT", "Lokon", "Inspector 101", "Inspector 201", "Inspector 301", etc.

Light short-range UAVs. This class includes somewhat larger vehicles - with a take-off weight of 5 to 50 kilograms. The range of their action is within 10–120 kilometers.

Among them: Geoscan 300, Grant, ZALA 421-04, Orlan-10, PteroSM, PteroE5, T10, Ele ron-10, Gamayun-10, Irkut-10,

T92 "Lotos", T90 (T90-11), T21, T24, "Tipchak" UAV-05, UAV-07, UAV-08.

Light medium-range UAVs. A number of domestic samples can be attributed to this class of UAVs. Their mass varies between 50-100 kilograms. These include: T92M "Chibis", ZALA 421-09,

"Dozor-2", "Dozor-4", "Bee-1T".

Medium UAVs. The take-off weight of medium-sized UAVs ranges from 100 to 300 kilograms. They are designed for use at ranges of 150-1000 kilometers. In this class: M850 Astra, Binom, La-225 Komar, T04, E22M Berta, Berkut, Irkut-200.

Medium UAVs. This class has a range similar to the UAVs of the previous class, but they have a slightly higher take-off weight - from 300 to 500 kilograms.

This class should include: Hummingbird, Dunham, Dan-Baruk, Stork (Julia), Dozor-3.

Heavy medium-range UAVs. This class includes UAVs with a flight weight of 500 or more kilograms, designed for use at medium ranges of 70–300 kilometers. In the heavy class, the following are: Tu-243 "Reis-D", Tu-300, "Irkut-850", "Nart" (A-03).

Heavy UAVs of long flight duration. The category of unmanned vehicles, which is quite in demand abroad, includes American Predator, Reaper, GlobalHawk UAVs, Israeli Heron, Heron TP. There are practically no samples in Russia: Zond-3M, Zond-2, Zond-1, Sukhoi unmanned aerial systems (BasS), within which a robotic aviation complex(CRAYFISH).

Unmanned Combat Aircraft (UBS). Currently, the world is actively working on the creation of promising UAVs that can carry weapons on board and are designed to strike land and surface stationary and mobile targets in the face of strong opposition from enemy air defense forces. They are characterized by a range of about 1500 kilometers and a mass of 1500 kilograms.

To date, two projects are presented in Russia in the BBS class: Breakthrough-U, Skat.

In practice, for aerial photography, as a rule, UAVs weighing up to 10–15 kilograms (micro-, mini-UAVs and light UAVs) are used. This is due to the fact that with an increase in the takeoff weight of the UAV, the complexity of its development and, accordingly, the cost increases, but the reliability and safety of operation decrease. The fact is that when landing a UAV, energy E = mv2 / 2 is released, and the greater the mass of the device m, the greater its landing speed v, that is, the energy released during landing grows very quickly with increasing mass. And this energy can damage both the UAV itself and the property on the ground.

An unmanned helicopter and a multicopter do not have this disadvantage. Theoretically, such a device can be landed with an arbitrarily low speed of approach to the Earth. However, unmanned helicopters are too expensive, and copters are not yet capable of flying over long distances, and are used only for shooting local objects (individual buildings and structures).

Rice. 1. UAV Mavinci SIRIUS Fig. 2. UAV Geoscan 101

UAV ADVANTAGES

The superiority of UAVs over manned aircraft is, first of all, the cost of work, as well as a significant reduction in the number of routine operations. The very absence of a person on board the aircraft greatly simplifies the preparations for aerial photography.

First, you don't need an airfield, even the most primitive one. Unmanned aerial vehicles are launched either by hand or with the help of a special take-off device - a catapult.

Secondly, especially when using an electric propulsion circuit, there is no need for qualified technical assistance to maintain the aircraft, and measures to ensure safety at the work site are not so complicated.

Thirdly, there is no or much longer inter-regulatory period of operation of the UAV compared to a manned aircraft.

This circumstance has great importance when operating an aerial photography complex in remote areas of our country. As a rule, the field season for aerial photography is short, every fine day must be used for shooting.

UAV DEVICE

two main UAV layout schemes: classical (according to the “fuselage + wings + tail” scheme), which includes, for example, the Orlan-10 UAV, Mavinci SIRIUS (Fig. 1) and others, and the “flying wing”, which include Geoscan101 (Fig. 2), Gatewing X100, Trimble UX5, etc.

The main parts of an unmanned aerial photography complex are: body, engine, onboard control system (autopilot), ground control system (GCS) and aerial photography equipment.

The body of the UAV is made of lightweight plastic (such as carbon fiber or Kevlar) to protect expensive photographic equipment and controls and navigation, and its wings are made of plastic or extruded polystyrene foam (EPP). This material is light, strong enough and does not break on impact. A deformed EPP part can often be repaired with improvised means.

A light UAV with a parachute landing can withstand several hundred flights without repair, which, as a rule, includes the replacement of wings, fuselage elements, etc. Manufacturers try to reduce the cost of parts of the hull that are subject to wear so that the cost to the user to maintain the UAV in working condition is minimal.

It should be noted that the most expensive elements of the aerial photography complex, the ground control system, avionics, software, are not subject to wear at all.

The power plant of the UAV can be gasoline or electric. Moreover, a gasoline engine will provide a much longer flight, since gasoline, per kilogram, has 10-15 times more energy stored than can be stored in the best battery. However, such a power plant is complex, less reliable and requires a significant amount of time to prepare the UAV for launch. In addition, a gasoline-powered unmanned aerial vehicle is extremely difficult to transport to the job site by plane. Finally, it requires a highly skilled operator. Therefore, it makes sense to use a gasoline-powered UAV only in cases where a very long flight duration is required - for continuous monitoring, for examining particularly remote objects.

The electric propulsion system, on the other hand, is very undemanding to the skill level of the operating personnel. Modern rechargeable batteries can provide a continuous flight duration of more than four hours. Servicing an electric motor is very easy. Mostly this is only protection against moisture and dirt, as well as checking the voltage of the on-board network, which is carried out from the ground control system. The batteries are charged from the on-board network of the accompanying vehicle or from an autonomous power generator. The brushless electric motor of the UAV practically does not wear out.

Autopilot - with an inertial system (Fig. 3) - the most important element UAV control.

The autopilot weighs only 20-30 grams. But this is a very complex product. In the autopilot, in addition to a powerful processor, many sensors are installed - a three-axis gyroscope and accelerometer (and sometimes a magnetometer), a GLO-NASS / GPS receiver, a pressure sensor, an airspeed sensor. With these devices, an unmanned aerial vehicle will be able to fly strictly on a given course.

Rice. 3. AutopilotMicropilot

The UAV has a radio modem necessary for downloading a flight task, transferring telemetry data about the flight and the current location at the work site to the ground control system.

Ground control system

(NSU) is a tablet computer or laptop equipped with a modem for communication with the UAV. An important part of the NSU is software for planning a flight task and displaying the progress of its implementation.

As a rule, a flight task is compiled automatically, according to a given contour of an areal object or nodal points of a linear object. In addition, it is possible to design flight routes based on the required flight altitude and the required resolution of photographs on the ground. To automatically maintain a given flight altitude, it is possible to take into account a digital terrain model in common formats in a flight task.

During the flight, the position of the UAV and the contours of the photographs being taken are displayed on the cartographic substrate of the NSU monitor. During the flight, the operator has the ability to quickly redirect the UAV to another landing area and even quickly land the UAV from the "red" button on the ground control system. On command from the NSU, other auxiliary operations can be planned, for example, parachute release.

In addition to providing navigation and flight, the autopilot must control the camera in order to receive images at a given frame interval (as soon as the UAV flies the required distance from the previous photographic center). If the pre-calculated inter-frame interval is not stable, you have to adjust the shutter time so that even with a tailwind, the longitudinal overlap is sufficient.

The autopilot must register the coordinates of the photographing centers of the GLONASS/GPS geodetic satellite receiver so that the automatic image processing program can quickly build a model and bind it to the terrain. The required accuracy of determining the coordinates of the centers of photographing depends on the terms of reference for the implementation of aerial photography.

Aerial photography equipment is installed on the UAV depending on its class and purpose of use.

Micro- and mini-UAVs are equipped with compact digital cameras supplied with interchangeable lenses with fixed focal length(without zoom or zoom device) weighing 300-500 grams. SONY NEX-7 cameras are currently used as such cameras.

with a 24.3 MP sensor, CANON600D 18.5 MP sensor, and the like. Shutter control and signal transmission from the shutter to the satellite receiver is performed using standard or slightly modified electrical connectors of the camera.

Light short-range UAVs are equipped with SLR cameras with a large photosensitive element, for example, Canon EOS5D (sensor size 36 × 24 mm), Nikon D800 (36.8 MP matrix (sensor size 35.9 × 24 mm)), Pentax645D (CCD sensor 44 × 33 mm, 40 MP matrix) and the like, weighing 1.0–1.5 kilograms.

Rice. 4. Scheme of placement of aerial photographs (blue rectangles with labels of numbers)

UAV CAPABILITIES

According to the requirements of the document "Basic provisions for aerial photography performed to create and update topographic maps and plans" GKINP-09-32-80, the carrier of aerial photography equipment must follow the design position of aerial photography routes as accurately as possible, maintain a given echelon (photographing height), ensure the requirements for compliance limit deviations for camera orientation angles - tilt, roll, pitch. In addition, navigation equipment must provide accurate shutter response time and determine the coordinates of photographing centers.

The equipment integrated into the autopilot was mentioned above: these are a microbarometer, an airspeed sensor, an inertial system, and satellite navigation equipment. According to the tests carried out (in particular, the Geoscan101 UAV), the following deviations of the real shooting parameters from the given ones were established:

UAV deviations from the route axis - in the range of 5–10 meters;

Deviations of photographing heights - in the range of 5–10 meters;

Height fluctuation of photographing adjacent images - no more

Arising in flight "Christmas trees" (turns of images in the horizontal plane) are processed automated system photogrammetric processing without noticeable negative consequences.

The photographic equipment installed on the UAV makes it possible to obtain digital images of the terrain with a resolution of better than 3 centimeters per pixel. The use of short-, medium-, and long-focus photographic lenses is determined by the nature of the finished materials obtained: be it a relief model or an orthophotomap. All calculations are made in the same way as in the "big" aerial photography.

The use of a dual-frequency GLO-NASS/GPS satellite geodetic system for determining the coordinates of image centers allows, in the process of post-processing, to obtain the coordinates of photographing centers with an accuracy better than 5 centimeters, and the use of the PPP (PrecisePointPositioning) method allows determining the coordinates of image centers without using base stations or at a considerable distance from them.

The final processing of aerial photography materials can serve as an objective criterion for assessing the quality of the work performed. For illustration, we can consider the data on the assessment of the accuracy of photogrammetric processing of aerial photography materials from the UAV, performed in the PhotoScan software (manufactured by Agisoſt, St. Petersburg) by control points (Table 2).

UAV APPLICATION

in the world, and in recent times and in Russia, unmanned aerial vehicles are used in geodetic surveys during construction, for drawing up cadastral plans for industrial facilities, transport infrastructure, villages, summer cottages, in mine surveying for determining the volume of mine workings and dumps, taking into account the movement of bulk cargo in quarries, ports, mining and processing plants, to create maps, plans and 3D models of cities and enterprises.

3. Tseplyaeva T.P., Morozova O.V. Stages of development of unmanned aerial vehicles. M., "Open information and computer integrated technologies", No. 42, 2009.

For a quarter of a century, ideas have been floating around the world about creating a so-called hybrid aircraft, which in its design will allow combining an airship, an airplane and a helicopter. Why is such a strange design needed, if all three of these types of aircraft can be used separately? But the fact is that even in the era of large Soviet construction projects, the problem arose of transporting massive structures that still had to be installed exactly in the agreed place. After all, in fact, an ordinary helicopter will not carry a multi-ton drilling rig to the place of operation. Therefore, the elements of the tower were delivered by rail, and then proceeded to the assembly. It took a huge amount of time and resources, including financial ones. It was then that the Tyumen designers had the idea of ​​creating such an aircraft that could move through the air at a relatively low speed and carry a large load.

By the way, this idea, having been born first in the USSR, reached the United States. Already next year, the Americans are planning to lift into the sky a giant "Aeroscraft" - both a plane and an airship at the same time. It can be stated that Russian designers are ahead of the Americans in terms of implementing the idea of ​​a hybrid aircraft. After all, his "BARS", namely the name of the hybrid, made its first flight over the Tyumen fields back in the mid-90s. It turns out that the job is done and our aircraft designers can rest on their laurels, however, as always, their work and talent cannot be appreciated. It is connected, first of all, with total underfunding. The same BARS, despite its obvious advantages, has not been put into serial production, so many tasks for the transportation of goods by air have not yet been solved.

Let's try to figure out what are the advantages of hybrid aircraft? The fact is that the design of the same "BARS" is a real integration of elements of three aircraft at once. Its body is made of the same materials as the aircraft body, but in its central part there is a technological area with several propellers. These propellers allow a strictly vertical movement of the hybrid machine. In addition, the aircraft is equipped with helium containers, which implement the principle of airship flight and allow the hybrid to be rigidly fixed on the ground during unloading. The "BARS" and models close to it have elevators, as well as lateral plumage, like a conventional aircraft. This allows him to effectively maneuver in flight.

Many may notice that an airship could also cope with the function of delivering equipment of a large mass to a predetermined point, however, an airship is much more difficult to control and is subject to the influence of flows. air masses which could easily lead to disaster. And the airship cannot effectively lower a large load - after the descent of a multi-ton structure, the airship can take off uncontrollably, as if large ballast is discarded. The hybrid aircraft is devoid of such shortcomings. In addition, such aircraft as "BARS" are equipped with air cushion, which could allow him to fill a special capsule with water and then use it to put out fires or irrigate fields.

If the Russian idea is so far entirely focused on civilian cargo transportation, then the Americans plan to use their hybrid for military purposes. The Pentagon declares that it is already ready to acquire several Aeroscraft in order to later use it to deliver warheads and contingents to hard-to-reach areas.

Of course, one should not say that hybrid aircraft should be used as passenger transport. For this purpose, aircraft are better suited, because the speed of the hybrid is not higher than 200 km / h. But in terms of effective provision of remote construction sites, transportation of large loads through mountain ranges, and fire fighting, these machines will not be equal. Note that the carrying capacity of the hybrid is about 400 tons, which is 130 tons higher than the carrying capacity of the huge Mriya aircraft.

Let's hope that flying hybrids will soon begin to be delivered to various sectors of Russian civil aviation.

In Hollywood science fiction films, the image of an unmanned aerial strike vehicle is quite often traced. So, at present The United States is the world leader in the construction and design of drones. And they do not stop there, more and more increasing the fleet of UAVs in the armed forces.

Having gained experience in the first, second Iraq campaigns and the Afghan campaign, the Pentagon continues to develop unmanned systems. UAV purchases will be increased, criteria for new devices are being created. UAVs first occupied the niche of light reconnaissance aircraft, but already in the 2000s it became clear that they were also promising as strike aircraft - they were used in Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Drones have become full-fledged strike units.

MQ-9 Reaper "Reaper"

The last purchase of the Pentagon was order 24 strike UAVs of the MQ-9 Reaper type. This contract will almost double their number in the armed forces (in early 2009, the US had 28 of these drones). Gradually, the "Reapers" (according to Anglo-Saxon mythology, the image of death) should replace the older "Predators" MQ-1 Predator, about 200 of them are in service.

UAV MQ-9 Reaper first took to the air in February 2001. The device was created in 2 versions: turboprop and turbojet, but the US Air Force, interested in new technology, indicated the need for uniformity, refusing to purchase a jet version. In addition, despite the high aerobatic qualities (for example, a practical ceiling of up to 19 kilometers), he could be in the air for no more than 18 hours, which did not tire the Air Force. The turboprop model went into production on a 910-horsepower TPE-331 engine, the brainchild of Garrett AiResearch.

Basic performance characteristics of the "Reaper":

- Weight: 2223 kg (empty) and 4760 kg (maximum);
- Maximum speed - 482 km / h and cruising - about 300 km / h;
- Maximum flight range - 5800 ... 5900 km;
- With a full load, the UAV will do its job for about 14 hours. In total, the MQ-9 is able to stay in the air for up to 28-30 hours;
- Practical ceiling - up to 15 kilometers, and the working altitude level -7.5 km;

Armament "Reaper": has 6 suspension points, a total payload of up to 3800 pounds, so instead of 2 AGM-114 Hellfire guided missiles on the Predator, its more advanced counterpart can take up to 14 SD.
The second option for equipping the Reaper is a combination of 4 Hellfires and 2 five-hundred-pound laser-guided GBU-12 Paveway II guided bombs.
In the 500 lb caliber, it is also possible to use GPS-guided JDAM weapons, such as the GBU-38 ammunition. Air-to-air weapons are represented by AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and with recently AIM-92 Stinger - a modification of the well-known MANPADS missile, adapted for air launch.

avionics: AN/APY-8 Lynx II Synthetic Aperture Radar capable of mapping mode - in the nose cone. At low (up to 70 knots) speeds, the radar allows you to scan the surface with a resolution of one meter, viewing 25 square kilometers per minute. At high speeds (about 250 knots) - up to 60 square kilometers.

In the search modes of the radar, in the so-called SPOT mode, it provides instant “images” of local areas from a distance of up to 40 kilometers earth's surface 300×170 meters in size, while the resolution reaches 10 centimeters. Combined electron-optical and thermal imaging sighting station MTS-B - on a spherical suspension under the fuselage. Includes a laser rangefinder-target designator capable of targeting the entire range of US and NATO munitions with semi-active laser guidance.

In 2007, the first attack squadron "Reapers" was formed., they entered service with the 42nd strike squadron, which is located at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. In 2008, they were armed with the 174th Fighter Wing of the National Guard Air Force. NASA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Border Guard also have specially equipped Reapers.
The system was not put up for sale. Of the allies of the "Reapers" bought Australia and England. Germany abandoned this system in favor of its developments and Israeli ones.

prospects

The next generation of medium-sized UAVs under the MQ-X and MQ-M programs should be on the wing by 2020. The military wants to simultaneously expand the combat capabilities of the strike UAV and integrate it as much as possible into the overall combat system.

Main goals:

- They plan to create such a basic platform that can be used in all theaters of military operations, which will multiply the functionality of the Air Force unmanned grouping in the region, as well as increase the speed and flexibility of response to emerging threats.

- Increasing the autonomy of the device and increasing the ability to perform tasks in difficult weather conditions. Automatic takeoff and landing, exit to the combat patrol area.

- Interception of air targets, direct support of ground forces, the use of a drone as an integrated reconnaissance complex, a set of electronic warfare tasks and the tasks of providing communications and situational illumination in the form of deploying an information gateway based on an aircraft.

- Suppression of the enemy air defense system.

- By 2030, they plan to create a model of a tanker drone, a kind of unmanned tanker capable of supplying fuel to other aircraft - this will dramatically increase the duration of being in the air.

- There are plans to create UAV modifications that will be used in search and rescue and evacuation missions related to the air transfer of people.

— Into the concept combat use The UAV is planned to lay the architecture of the so-called "swarm" (SWARM), which will allow for the joint combat use of groups of unmanned aircraft for the exchange of intelligence information and strike actions.

- As a result, UAVs should "grow" to such tasks as inclusion in the country's air defense system and even delivering strategic strikes. This is attributed to the middle of the 21st century.

Fleet

In early February 2011, a jet took off from Edwards Air Force Base (California) UAV Kh-47V. Drones for the Navy began to be developed in 2001. Sea trials should begin in 2013.

Basic requirements of the Navy:
— deck-based, including landing without violating the stealth regime;
- two full-fledged compartments for installing weapons, the total weight of which, according to a number of reports, can reach two tons;
— air refueling system.

The US is developing a list of requirements for the 6th generation fighter:

- Equipping with next-generation on-board information and control systems, stealth technologies.

— Hypersonic speed, that is, speeds above Mach 5-6.

- Possibility of unmanned control.

- The electronic element base of the aircraft's on-board systems should give way to optical, built on photonics technologies, with a complete transition to fiber-optic communication lines.

Thus, the United States confidently maintains its position in the development, deployment and accumulation of experience in the combat use of UAVs. Participation in a number of local wars allowed armed forces The United States to maintain personnel in combat readiness, improve equipment and technologies, combat use and control schemes.

The Armed Forces received unique combat experience and the opportunity in practice to uncover and correct the flaws of the designers without major risks. UAVs are becoming part of a single combat system - conducting a "network-centric war".

Nowadays, many developing countries allocate a lot of money from the budget for the improvement and development of new types of UAVs - unmanned aerial vehicles. In the theater of operations, it was not uncommon for cases when, when solving a combat or training task, the command preferred a digital machine rather than a pilot. And there were a number of good reasons for this. First, it is the continuity of work. Drones are able to perform a task for up to 24 hours without a break for rest and sleep - integral elements of human needs. Secondly, it's endurance.

The drone works almost smoothly, in conditions of high overloads, and where the human body is simply unable to withstand 9G overloads, the drone can continue to work. Well, and thirdly, this is the absence of a human factor and the performance of the task according to the program embedded in the computer complex. Only the operator who enters information to complete the mission can make a mistake - robots do not make mistakes.

History of UAV development

Man has long been visited by the idea of ​​creating such a machine, which could, without harm to oneself, be controlled from a distance. 30 years after the first flight of the Wright brothers, this idea became a reality, and in 1933 a special remote-controlled aircraft was built in the UK.

The first drone to take part in the battles was . It was a radio-controlled rocket jet engine. It was equipped with an autopilot, into which the German operators entered information about the upcoming flight. During the years of the Second World War, this missile successfully completed about 20,000 sorties, inflicting air strikes on important strategic and civilian targets in Great Britain.

After the end of World War II, the United States and Soviet Union in the course of growing mutual claims to each other, which became a springboard for the start of the Cold War, began to allocate huge amounts of money from the budget for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.

So, during the conduct of hostilities in Vietnam, both sides actively used UAVs to solve various combat missions. Radio-controlled vehicles took aerial photographs, carried out radar reconnaissance and were used as repeaters.

In 1978, there was a real breakthrough in the history of the development of drones. IAI Scout was introduced by Israeli military representatives and became the first combat UAV in history.

And in 1982, during the war in Libya, this drone was almost completely destroyed. Syrian system air defense. During the conduct of those hostilities, the Syrian army lost 19 anti-aircraft batteries and 85 aircraft were destroyed.

After these events, the Americans began to pay maximum attention to the development of drones, and in the 90s they became world leaders in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Drones were actively used in 1991 during the "Desert Storm", as well as during military operations in Yugoslavia in 1999. Now the US Army is armed with about 8.5 thousand radio-controlled drones, and these are mainly small-sized UAVs for reconnaissance missions in the interests of the ground forces.

Design features

Since the invention of the target drone by the British, science has taken a huge step forward in the development of remote-controlled flying robots. Modern drones have a large range and flight speed.

This is mainly due to the rigid fixation of the wing, the power of the engine built into the robot and the fuel used, of course. There are also battery-powered drones, but they are not able to compete in range with fuel-powered ones, at least not yet.

Extensive use in conducting intelligence activities received gliders and convertiplanes. The first ones are quite simple to manufacture and do not require large financial investments, and in some samples the design does not provide for an engine.

Distinctive feature the second is that its takeoff is based on helicopter thrust, while when maneuvering in the air, these drones use aircraft wings.

Tailsiggers are robots that developers have endowed with the ability to change flight profiles while directly in the air. This happens due to the rotation of either the entire or part of the structure in a vertical plane. There are also wired drones and drone piloting is carried out by transmitting control commands to its board through a connected cable.

There are drones that differ from the rest in a set of their non-standard functions or functions performed in an unusual style. These are exotic UAVs, and some of them can easily land on the water or gain a foothold on a vertical surface like a sticky fish.

UAVs based on a helicopter design also differ from each other in their functions and tasks. There are devices with both one screw and several - such drones are called quadrocopters, and they are used mainly for “civilian” purposes.

They have 2, 4, 6 or 8 screws, in pairs and symmetrically located from the longitudinal axis of the robot, and the more of them, the better the UAV is stable in the air, and it is much better controlled.

What are drones

In unmanned UAVs, a person takes part only when launching and entering flight parameters before taking off the drone. As a rule, these are low-cost drones that do not require special operator training and special landing sites for their operation.

Remotely controlled drones provide for their flight path correction, and automatic robots perform the task completely autonomously. The success of the mission here depends on the accuracy and correctness of the introduction of pre-flight parameters by the operator into a stationary computer complex located on the ground.

The weight of micro devices is no more than 10 kg, and they can stay in the air for no more than an hour, the drones of the mini group weigh up to 50 kg, and are able to perform the task for 3 ... work is 15 hours. As for heavy UAVs that weigh more than a ton, these drones can fly continuously for more than 24 hours, and some of them are capable of intercontinental flights.

Foreign drones

One of the directions in the development of UAVs is to reduce their size without significant damage to specifications. The Norwegian company Prox Dynamics has developed a helicopter-type micro drone PD-100 Black Hornet.

This drone can operate for about a quarter of an hour at a distance of up to 1 km. This robot is used as an individual reconnaissance means of a soldier and is equipped with three video cameras. Used by some regular US units in Afghanistan since 2012.

The most common U.S. Army drone is the RKyu-11 Raven. It is launched from the hand of a soldier and does not require a special platform for its landing, it can fly both in automatic mode and under the control of an operator.

This light drone is used by US soldiers to solve short-range reconnaissance tasks at the company level.

Heavier UAVs american army represented by RKyu-7 Shadow and RKyu-5 Hunter. Both samples are intended for the production of reconnaissance at the brigade level.

The uninterrupted operating time in the air of these drones differs significantly from lighter samples. There are multiple modifications of them, some of which include the function of hanging small guided bombs weighing up to 5.4 kg on them.

MKyu-1 Predator is the most famous American drone. Initially, its main task, like many other samples, was reconnaissance. But soon, in 2000, manufacturers made a number of modifications to its design, allowing it to perform combat missions related to the direct destruction of targets.

In addition to suspended missiles (Hellfire-S, created specifically for this drone in 2001), three video cameras, an infrared system and its own onboard radar station. Now there are several modifications of the MKyu-1 Predator to perform tasks of a very different nature.

In 2007, another strike UAV appeared - the American MKyu-9 Reaper. Compared to the MKyu-1 Predator, its flight duration was much higher, and in addition to missiles, it could carry guided bombs on board and had more modern radio electronics.

The largest UAV in the world is considered to be the RKyu-4 Global Hawk. In 1998, he took to the air for the first time and to this day performs reconnaissance missions.

This drone is the first robot in history that can use the airspace and air corridors of the United States without the permission of the air traffic control authority.

Domestic UAVs

Russian drones are conditionally divided into the following categories

The Eleon-ZSV UAV belongs to the short-range devices, it is quite simple to operate and easy to carry in a shoulder bag. The drone is launched manually from the harness or compressed air from the pump.

Capable of conducting reconnaissance and transmitting information via a digital video channel at a distance of up to 25 km. Eleon-10V is similar in design and operation rules to the previous device. Their main difference is the increase in flight range up to 50 km.

The landing process of these UAVs is carried out with the help of special parachutes, which are thrown out when the drone develops its battery charge.

Flight-D (Tu-243) is a reconnaissance and strike drone capable of carrying aircraft weapons weighing up to 1 ton. The device, produced by the Tupolev Design Bureau, made its first flight in 1987.

Since then, the drone has undergone numerous improvements, including an improved flight and navigation system, new radar reconnaissance instruments, and a competitive optical system.

Irkut-200 - more strike drone. And in it, first of all, the high autonomy of the device and the small mass are appreciated, thanks to which flights lasting up to 12 hours can be carried out. The UAV lands on a specially equipped platform with a length of about 250 m.

Skat - heavy UAV long range new generation developed by Design Bureau MiG. This drone will be invisible to enemy radars, thanks to the hull assembly scheme, which excludes the tail.

The task of this drone is to deliver accurate missile and bomb strikes against ground targets, such as anti-aircraft batteries of the air defense forces or stationary command posts. As conceived by the developers of the UAV, the Skat will be able to perform tasks both autonomously and as part of an aircraft flight.

Disadvantages of unmanned aerial vehicles

One of the drawbacks of the UAV is the difficulty in piloting it. So, an ordinary private who has not completed a course of special training and does not know certain subtleties when using the operator's computer complex cannot approach the control panel.

Another significant drawback is the difficulty of searching for drones after they land with the help of parachutes. Because some models, when the battery charge is close to critical, may give incorrect data about their location.

To this we can add the sensitivity of some models to the wind, due to the ease of construction.

Some drones can fly to high altitudes, and in some cases, occupying the height of one or another drone requires permission from the air traffic control authority, which can significantly complicate the task by a certain date, because priority in the airspace is given to ships under the control of the pilot, and not operator.

The use of UAVs for civilian purposes

Drones have found their calling not only on the battlefields or in the course of military operations. Now drones are actively used for quite peaceful purposes of citizens in urban environments, and even in some branches of agriculture they have found application.

So some courier services use helicopter-powered robots to deliver a wide variety of goods to their customers. With the help of drones, aerial photography is carried out by many photographers when organizing special events.

And also they were adopted by some detective agencies.

Conclusion

Unmanned aerial vehicles are a significant new word in the age of rapidly developing technologies. Robots keep up with the times, cover not only one direction, but develop in several at once.

But still, despite the models that are still far from ideal, by human standards, in the field of errors or flight ranges, UAVs have one huge and undeniable plus. Drones have saved hundreds of human lives during their use, and this is worth a lot.

Video

Conducting work on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is considered one of the most promising courses in the development of current combat aviation. The use of UAVs or drones has already led to important changes in the tactics and strategy of military conflicts. Moreover, it is believed that in the very near future their significance will increase significantly. Some military experts believe that the positive shift in the development of drones is the most important achievement in the aviation industry of the last decade.

However, drones are used not only for military purposes. Today they are actively involved in national economy". With their help, aerial photography, patrols, geodetic surveys, monitoring of a wide variety of objects are carried out, and some even deliver purchases home. However, the most promising developments of new drones today are carried out for military purposes.

With the help of UAVs, many tasks are solved. Mainly, it is reconnaissance. Most of the modern drones were created for this purpose. In recent years, more and more strike unmanned vehicles have appeared. Drones-kamikaze can be distinguished as a separate category. Drones can conduct electronic warfare, they can be radio repeaters, spotters for artillery, air targets.

For the first time, attempts to create aircraft that were not controlled by man were made immediately with the advent of the first airplanes. However, their practical implementation took place only in the 70s of the last century. After that, a genuine “drone boom” began. Remotely controlled aircraft technology has not been realized for quite a long time, but today it is produced in abundance.

As often happens, American companies are in the lead in the creation of drones. And this is not surprising, because the funding from the American budget for the creation of drones was simply astronomical by our standards. So during the 90s, three billion dollars were spent on similar projects, while in 2003 alone, more than one billion was spent on them.

Nowadays, work is underway to create the latest drones with a longer flight duration. The devices themselves should be heavier and solve problems in a difficult environment. Drones are being developed to combat ballistic missiles, unmanned fighters, microdrones capable of operating in large groups (swarms).

Work on the development of drones is underway in many countries around the world. More than one thousand companies are involved in this industry, but the most promising developments go straight to the military.

Drones: advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of unmanned aerial vehicles are:

• A significant reduction in size in comparison with conventional aircraft (LA), leading to a reduction in cost, increasing their survivability;
• The potential to create small UAVs that could perform a wide variety of tasks in combat areas;
• Ability to conduct reconnaissance and transmit information in real time;
• The absence of restrictions on use in an extremely difficult combat situation associated with the risk of their loss. When conducting critical operations, it is easy to sacrifice several drones;
• Reduction (by more than one order of magnitude) of flight operation in Peaceful time, which would be required by traditional aircraft, preparing the flight crew;
• The presence of high combat readiness and mobility;
• The potential to create small, uncomplicated mobile drone systems for non-aviation formations.

The disadvantages of UAVs include:

• Insufficient flexibility of use in comparison with traditional aircraft;
• Difficulties in resolving issues with communications, landing, rescue vehicles;
• In terms of reliability, drones are still inferior to conventional aircraft;
• Restriction of drone flights during peacetime.

A bit from the history of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

The first remote-controlled aircraft was the Fairy Queen, built in 1933 in the UK. He was a target aircraft for fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft guns.

And the first serial drone that participated in real war, was a V-1 rocket. This German "wonder weapon" bombarded Great Britain. In total, up to 25,000 units of such equipment were manufactured. The V-1 had a pulse jet engine and an autopilot with route data.

After the war, unmanned intelligence systems were developed in the USSR and the USA. Soviet drones were reconnaissance aircraft. With their help, aerial photography, electronic intelligence, as well as relaying were carried out.

Israel has done a lot for the development of drones. Since 1978, they have had the first IAI Scout drone. In the 1982 Lebanese war, the Israeli army completely defeated the Syrian air defense system with the help of drones. As a result, Syria lost almost 20 air defense batteries and almost 90 aircraft. This affected the attitude military science to the UAV.

The Americans used UAVs in Desert Storm and in the Yugoslav campaign. In the 90s, they also became leaders in the development of drones. So since 2012, they have had almost 8 thousand UAVs of various modifications. These were mainly small army reconnaissance drones, but there were also strike UAVs.

The first one in 2002 missile attack killed one of the heads of al-Qaeda by car. Since then, the use of UAVs to eliminate the enemy's PMD or its units has become commonplace.

Varieties of drones

Currently, there are a lot of drones that differ in their size, appearance, flight range, as well as functionality. UAVs differ in their control methods and their autonomy.

They can be:

• Unmanaged;
• remote controlled;
• Automatic.

According to their size, drones are:

• Microdrones (up to 10 kg);
• Minidrones (up to 50 kg);
• Mididrons (up to 1 ton);
• Heavy drones (weighing more than a ton).

Microdrones can stay in the airspace for up to one hour, minidrones for three to five hours, and mididrons for up to fifteen hours. Heavy drones can stay in the air for more than twenty-four hours with intercontinental flights.

Overview of foreign unmanned aerial vehicles

The main trend in the development of modern drones is to reduce their size. One of the Norwegian drones from Prox Dynamics can be such an example. The helicopter drone has a length of 100 mm and a weight of 120 grams, a range of up to one km, and a flight duration of up to 25 minutes. It has three video cameras.

These drones have been mass-produced since 2012. Thus, the British military purchased 160 sets of PD-100 Black Hornet in the amount of 31 million dollars for special operations in Afghanistan.

Microdrones are also being developed in the United States. They are working on special program Soldier Borne Sensors, aimed at the development and implementation of reconnaissance drones with the potential to extract information for platoons or companies. There is information about the planning by the American army leadership to provide all fighters with individual drones.

To date, the most heavy drone the US Army considers the RQ-11 Raven. It has a mass of 1.7 kg, a wingspan of 1.5 m and a flight of up to 5 km. With an electric motor, the drone can reach speeds of up to 95 km/h and stay in flight for up to one hour.

He has a digital video camera with night vision. The launch is made from the hands, and a special platform is not needed for landing. The devices can fly along predetermined routes in automatic mode, GPS signals can serve as reference points for them, or they can be controlled by operators. These drones are in service with more than a dozen states.

The heavy American army UAV is the RQ-7 Shadow, which conducts reconnaissance at the brigade level. It has been mass-produced since 2004 and has a two-keel plumage with a pusher propeller and several modifications. These drones are equipped with conventional or infrared video cameras, radar, target illumination, laser rangefinders, and multispectral cameras. Guided five-kilogram bombs are suspended from the vehicles.

The RQ-5 Hunter is a mid-size, half-ton drone, a joint US-Israeli development. In its arsenal there is a television camera, a third-generation thermal imager, a laser rangefinder and other equipment. It is launched from a special platform with a rocket booster. Its flight zone is within a range of up to 270 km, for 12 hours. Some Hunter modifications have pendants for small bombs.

MQ-1 Predator is the most famous American UAV. This is the "transformation" of a reconnaissance drone into a strike drone, which has several modifications. The Predator conducts reconnaissance and delivers precision ground strikes. It has a maximum takeoff weight of more than a ton, a radar station, several video cameras (including an IR system), other equipment and several modifications.

In 2001, a high-precision laser-guided Hellfire-C missile was created for him, which was used in Afghanistan the following year. The complex has four drones, a control station and a satellite communications terminal, and costs more than four million dollars. The most advanced modification is the MQ-1C Gray Eagle with a larger wingspan and a more advanced engine.

The MQ-9 Reaper is the next American strike UAV with several modifications, known since 2007. It has a longer flight time, guided bombs, and more advanced radio electronics. The MQ-9 Reaper performed admirably in the Iraqi and Afghan campaigns. Its advantage over the F-16 is a lower purchase and operating price, a longer flight duration without risk to the pilot's life.

1998 - the first flight of the American strategic unmanned reconnaissance aircraft RQ-4 Global Hawk. Currently, this is the largest UAV with a takeoff weight of more than 14 tons, with a payload of 1.3 tons. It can stay in the airspace for 36 hours, while overcoming 22 thousand km. It is assumed that these drones will replace the U-2S reconnaissance aircraft.

Overview of Russian UAVs

What is available today? Russian army, and what are the prospects for Russian UAVs in the near future?

"Pchela-1T"- Soviet drone, first took off in 1990. He was a fire spotter for multiple launch rocket systems. It had a mass of 138 kg, a range of up to 60 km. He started from a special installation with a rocket booster, sat down by parachute. Used in Chechnya, but outdated.

"Dozor-85"- reconnaissance drone for the border service with a mass of 85 kg, flight time up to 8 hours. The Skat reconnaissance and strike UAV was a promising machine, but so far work has been suspended.

UAV "Forpost" is a licensed copy of the Israeli Searcher 2. It was developed back in the 90s. Forpost has a takeoff weight of up to 400 kg, a flight range of up to 250 km, satellite navigation and television cameras.

In 2007, a reconnaissance drone was adopted "Tipchak", with a launch weight of 50 kg and a flight duration of up to two hours. It has a regular and infrared camera. "Dozor-600" is a multi-purpose device developed by "Transas", was presented at the MAKS-2009 exhibition. He is considered an analogue of the American "Predator".

UAV "Orlan-3M" and "Orlan-10". They were developed for reconnaissance, search and rescue operations, target designation. Drones are extremely similar in their own way. appearance. However, they differ slightly in their take-off weight and flight range. They take off with a catapult and land by parachute.