Ukrainian tactical unmanned aerial vehicles Bayraktar TB2 conduct exercises together with artillery and aviation at the Shirokolanski training ground in the vicinity of Mikolaevo, learned BulgarianMilitary.com citing Defence24. For this purpose, the machines fly almost 500 km from their home air base in Starokostiantyniv, which confirms the information about the modification increasing the control range of these machines.
The flights of Bayraktar TB2 machines from the base in Starokonstantynów, where the first unmanned aerial vehicle unit in the Ukrainian air force was built to the 235th Shiroki Lan training center for military units and subunits, was noticed by aviation enthusiasts observing Flightradar24. The airframes carried out uninterrupted flights to a training ground approximately 480 km away, conducted exercises there, coordinating the fire of the Alder and DM-27 Uragan missile systems batteries and detecting targets for aviation, and then returned to the base. In the case of this machine, even hours of flight are not a problem. The Byraktar TB2 has a record of 24 hours and 34 minutes, but the standard control system has a range of about 150 km.
According to the information obtained by the Ukrainian Military Portal, these machines have recently been modernized by the manufacturer to increase the control range to 300 km. We wrote about this possibility recently, as it was revealed by the producer.
In order to test new functionalities, the team of the State Institute for Armament Research and Certification and Military Equipment conducted control tests of Bayraktar TB2 machines, confirming these possibilities in accordance with the requirements of Ukrainian procedures, introducing changes to the operating documentation of the machines. During the tests, the flights were conducted at an altitude of about 5-6 thousand. meters. The average cruising speed was over 195 km / h.
In addition to the increased control range, it is likely that Ukraine is checking the possibility of continuous patrol tasks thanks to the use of several control stations located on the arrival route and in the mission area. This is important because the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense plans to create a network of control stations similar to that created by Turkey. This will allow for continuous supervision of border areas and, among others, territorial waters and demarcation zones.
Ukraine unveils its own new reconnaissance and strike UAV Sokol-300
The Ukrainian design office KB “Lucz” presented on November 7 the “Sokol-300” reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle, which was to be premiered during the Arms and Security 2020 exhibition in Kiev, which was canceled due to the pandemic.
The machine is armed with 4 Barier-W guided missiles produced by the same company. The prototype flight is planned in about 8-9 months, provided financing of the project is secured. The presentation of the full-size model of the Sokol-300 unmanned aerial vehicle took place at the “WIZAR” plant in Wiszniewo near Kielce.
Interestingly, from July this year, when information about this unmanned aerial vehicle first appeared, it changed its name from Sokol-200 to Sokol-300. This means that the maximum lifting capacity has been increased to 300 kg. The machine has a classic for this class of UAV layout with a push propeller, an engine at the end of the fuselage and a butterfly tail.
The fuselage is 8.57 m long and the wingspan is 14 m. The maximum take-off weight ranges from 1130 to 1225 kg, depending on the propulsion unit used, and the curb weight varies between 420 kg and 535 kg. There are three options that affect performance and weight: the Ukrainian MS-500W and I-450T turbine engines from Motor Sich, or the four-cylinder Rotax 914 turbocharged. Turboprop variants achieve higher altitude and speed, but at the expense of flight time, which was set at 26 hours for the piston engine version. However, in this version the maximum speed is 210 km / h, while in the variant powered by the MS-500 turbine it is over 580 km / h.
The load capacity of the armament is to reach not 200 kg as previously planned, but 300 kg and allow the carrying of 4 Barier-W guided missiles or other types of weapons, depending on the type of task being carried out. In the front part of the fuselage, a special fairing houses the Radionix synthetic aperture radar, which provides both reconnaissance and terrain navigation in all conditions. Under the fuselage there is the Ukrainian OPSN-I optoelectronic head, also used in the digitized and armed with guided missiles version of the Mi-8MSB-W helicopter, presented at last year’s Arms and Security 2019 exhibition in Kiev.
The Sokol-300 machine is to have wide possibilities of autonomous take-off and landing and navigation based on the GPS / INS system, as well as terrain recognition based on digital maps. These systems use solutions proven in the construction of the RC-360 Neptun maneuvering missile, which, in principle, is a subsonic, unmanned jet airframe. Interestingly, the RKP-360 command vehicle used in the RK-360MC Neptun cruise missile system can be used as the control post. The operating radius was determined in the first version at 150 km in the most mobile variant and 300 km with the use of a suitable mast or retransmission, which indicates that the designer does not plan to use satellite links, but only direct radio link.
As the representatives of KB “Lucz” argue, about 85% of the work related to this project has already been completed, while the remaining 15% is primarily flight tests and confirmation of proper cooperation of individual elements. Therefore, from the moment of obtaining financing, the prototype is to be ready for flight within a maximum of 9 months. In terms of operational capabilities, the Sokół-300 machine is intended to fill the gap between the tactical Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles already used by Ukraine and the Baykar Akinci machines that are in the final stage of development, which are likely to be produced by Turkey in cooperation with Ukraine.