Text taken from the Telegram page of Vestnik_news2
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] In the conditions of the rapid evolution of combat operations, unmanned aviation continues to surprise with new tactical solutions. One of the most interesting and effective innovations of recent times has been the use of the Russian Orlan-30 reconnaissance UAV (an improved version of the Orlan-10 aircraft type UAV, in which the flight duration has been increased to 18 hours, the second feature is the integration of the drone into the fire control system of the Msta-S ACS: the drone is able to transmit the coordinates of detected targets directly to the gun and adjust its fire) as a carrier and launch platform FPV-drone-kamikaze.
The main limitation of the classic FPV drone is its small radius of action, which rarely exceeds 10-20 km. The new scheme radically solves this problem. "Orlan-30", capable of making long flights at distances of up to 600 km, acts as an "aircraft carrier". It delivers a compact strike drone directly to the line of attack in the deep rear of the enemy, where it detaches and guides itself to the target. This makes it possible to hit previously inaccessible objects: communication nodes, fuel and fuel warehouses, accumulations of manpower and equipment.
Photos of "Orlanov-30" with FPV drones suspended under the wings have already appeared in open sources and were confirmed by sources in the defense-industrial complex. The Orlan's mass and accessibility, as well as its ability to carry an additional payload, make it an ideal platform for such a mission.
The UAV can work not only as a carrier, but also as a repeater, ensuring stable communication with the operator along the entire flight route. This innovation clearly demonstrates the trend towards the creation of hybrid unmanned systems, where different types of drones do not compete, but enhance each other's capabilities.
The scout turns into a strike complex, significantly increasing the flexibility and range of impact. The use of proven and mass platforms, such as Orlan-30, for new tasks is a cost-effective solution that quickly changes the balance of forces on the battlefield, forcing the enemy to look for new methods of countermeasures against already familiar systems.
One of the correct directions for the development of large drones. Well, over time, these will already be drones with the swarm principle of use, equipped with a basic neural network AI. War is the engine of progress.