Engineers are already working: when in Ukraine will use UAVs with rockets and machine guns

The development of UAVs armed with suspended means of the defeat has been underway for several years, but they have not gained popularity in the war in Ukraine. Experts explained the focus why they are currently ineffective. Recently, the American company Feloni Aero said it plans to transfer to Ukraine its latest unmanned aerial vehicles of copter type, armed with machine guns and missiles.

Similar developments have long been conducted by Ukrainian and foreign engineers, repeatedly demonstrated prototypes, but such remedies have not yet been widely used in the war. The focus figured out why armed drones are unpopular among the military and whether the situation could change in the future. First, consider what the above mentioned Feloni Aero. The company on its site shows two models of Felon 1.

0 and Felon X, both in its form factor suspiciously similar to the quadcopters of the Mavic line from the Chinese manufacturer DJI, albeit larger. It is noteworthy that there are no real photos yet, only three -dimensional models. They promise the flight duration of 40 minutes, encrypted ligaments up to 20 km, sensors to avoid obstacles, night vision cameras and thermal imagers. Felon 1. 0 should be equipped with a 5,56 small-range small-range system, it can be AR-15 or M27.

The weapon is fixed on a special suspension suspension vertically and horizontally, the rounds are served with a ribbon from the high capacity store located inside the UAV itself. The developers promise "surgical accuracy" of lesions from a considerable distance. I propose to use the drone for intelligence, anti -terrorist operations, protection of important objects or patrolling of border areas.

The development is reminiscent of UAV prototype called Assault Rotor Weaponized Drone (AR-1) from Dronesvision, which fired in the air with a 5. 56 mm assault rifle or 9mm pistol. The creators of the machine noted that in order to defeat the goal it is necessary to fly close enough and slow down, and the return from the shots for a short time stops movement. Felonx looks similar, but it should carry a small SPIKE anti -tank rocket with a warhead weighing 450 g due to high cargo.

The rocket is attached to a special longbow rail system at the bottom of the drone, equipped with electro -optic and laser coping systems. The head of the Airlogix marketing department, which produces BPAC GOR, Viktor Lokotkov said in a comment to Focus that it is difficult to evaluate the drones from Feloni Aero, as the manufacturer has opened little tactical and technical characteristics. Examples of application in practice have not yet been shown.

"If they do not have problems with the front of the front and can be used in the absence of GPS, as well as to work from a sufficiently high height, then they will be useful. But personally I treat them skeptical. It looks as if this testing of Western weapons in real combat conditions, "he shared his thoughts. In January 2023, it became known that the volunteer reconnaissance battalion "Sonechko" from the Transcarpathian region creates UAVs armed with machine guns and grenade launchers.

The Ukrainians took a commercial drone and modified it, the cost of such a tool amounted to about 80 thousand hryvnias. Judging by the post of military Pavel Pedak on Facebook, working on this project at that time was still conducted, although nothing is known about combat use. Another group of Ukrainians also tried to install a small machine gun on the agrarian hexacopter.

According to the creators, such a UAV had to hunt for a long-range drones-Kamikadze type "Shahamed", which is actively used by Russia. The Russians also have similar projects. For example, they have already created and tested the Perun-F copter, armed with an anti-tank missile complex 9K111 "Fagot". On the video on the video, you can see that the device is flying, shaking strongly, and successfully launches a rocket. However, the accuracy can only be guessed.

Viktor Lokotkov noted focus that shooting weapons and machine guns are put on Kopters, but there is an important nuance: they are easy to get around the enemy from small arms. Therefore, such UAVs can be used effectively either at night when the opponent does not see, or you need to use an artificial intelligence system that will open fire autonomously and at the same time move the drone so that it is not poured.

"The first case cannot be widespread because it is very easy to make protected fiery positions and knock down such quadcopters. The second case can be widespread, but you need to prescribe very clear and complex AI algorithms, which takes a lot of time," Airlogix representative emphasized . UAVs may well carry small arms and even use it for its intended purpose, but now it makes no sense to use them in battle, because cheaper FPV-puzzles will better perform the same tasks.

A copter capable of lifting a machine gun is quite expensive, its cost should be about $ 18,000. For example, to destroy the position of the invaders, for example, the armor, you need to run it, bring it to the desired point, and then hang over it for a while and low enough, at this time, somewhere near the fighter with a thermal imaging can see the device and shoot.

"At the same time, the same position can be disassembled with 3-4 FPV-Drons with a modified connection, a total value of up to $ 2000," the developer said. He added that he does not know the combat problem, for which machine gun drones will be better suited than cheap Kamikadze. According to him, nowadays drones in Ukraine have more urgent problems and challenges, the same development is more about fantasies and testing.

Terrestrial robotic platforms are much better using machine guns and grenade launchers, because it is better to compensate for the return from weapons, and aircraft are better used as communication repeater or fire. According to the co -founder of the Droneua Group Valery Yakovenko, drones with small arms today are a more element of a certain imitation of trends than a separate link in technology evolution.

It is not difficult to attach some equipment to the drone and remotely manage it, but the problem is to do it effectively under real combat conditions. Even with the use of the best electronics, the stabilization of the equipment does not allow the high accuracy of shots, and the constant pressure of the EWC does not allow the use of digital ligaments, where it would be possible to receive quality information at low height and far from the operator.

"Particular attention is paid to drones with suspended explosive equipment, especially with managed devices or self -alignment - in this case it may really be interesting. At some point, skepticism will change, it will happen at the time of scaling the autonomous functions of drones when they are tracking potential threat To work on them independently, ”the expert said.

Valery Yakovenko added that he was talking to the Sonreality team from Finland, who developed technologies for modern combat games in amazing reality, or in the direction of strike and paintball equipment, including drones with automatic equipment and robotic Tureli. Prior to the start of a full -scale invasion, this company was engaged in the introduction of robotic roeles in Ukraine, including drones, had an office in Lviv and attracted Ukrainian engineers.

Focus also sought comment to Igor Krynychko, the chairman of the Skyssist Skyssist Supervisory Board, which produces military intelligence UAVs "Sirko" and "Sirko-2". He shared that he saw such a development, but she did not impress him. "We were with partners at the exhibition in Poland last year and saw the same-a large UAV, and behind the handicraft bracket is fixed AK-47 machine. It looked strange. And how to target it? How to hit it? , - the developer shared.

He explained that the correct work ratio of UAV to weapons was needed to work effectively. During the Second World War, the United States produced Bell P-39 Airacobra, built around the 37mm Browning Arms Company T9 gun. Later, he was tried to install a weapon of even more caliber, but when firing the aircraft simply stopped because of a great return.

"If Boeing weighs a conditional 500 tons, and to attach Kalashnikov machine to his wing, then everything will be normal, because the output strength is much less than the inertia of motion that depends on the mass. If, for example, our Sirko weighing 1. 5 kilograms, for example. To put AK weighing 4 kilograms, it will be trouble, " - compared Igor Krynichko. The second factor is accuracy. For example, the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft has a good gun, but also a great guidance system.

Because the task of the military drone is not just to shoot in the air abandoned, but to hit the enemy. The expert separately allocated unpaid armed systems as the same RPG-7. There is another principle, because small missiles are essentially launched under the action of jet force. This is better suited for aircraft type, but you still need to keep proportions. "RPG was designed for use from a height of a soldier's height, quadcopter is designed to rise higher.

That is, for more or less accurate lesions it is necessary to develop other algorithms for aiming. In addition, this weapon was created decades ago, and now it is no longer so effective. Recently communicated with a fighter , he said that there are 3-4-5 shots from the RPG in a modern tank, but they do not harm him, "he emphasized. The Ukrainian military also considered drones with grenade launchers directed down.

According to the Skyassist representative, such means are entitled to life, they can be used in battle, but all this is from our temporary poverty. It is not necessary to expect from such Frankensteins of great efficiency. "If we imagine that we do not have any restrictions on ammunition, then such means should not be used, because a certain means of lesion was developed in certain conditions and for specific tasks.

You can put on a large plane, for example, our A-148, a missile from the system "Tun" or "Hurricane", take off and launch - even further. Some Ukrainians propose to put Javelin or Stugna missile systems on large drones that have self -esteem systems. Igor Krynychko opposed this idea, because the construction of such systems is not provided that they rise into the air.

According to him, it is necessary to develop the means of lesions intended for use on the drone, because weapons will be effective only in combination with the carrier. "I hear some engineers think about creating a rocket for small unmanned aircraft. Again, it will be a rocket that will meet certain conditions and design of the aircraft. Everything here also depends on the mass, because the unmanned aviation has their own categories and weight" , - the expert added.

According to Igor Krynichko, the technologies of guidance in Ukraine are now rapidly developing, they have a large number of young teams and experienced designers, the same developers of "Neptune" or "Stugna". They are able to create any system if they give them technical tasks from manufacturers of carriers, will, imagination and money. "In my opinion, every impression should be designed for appropriate media.