Orlan-10

2022: Russian reconnaissance drones "Orlan-10" became combat and began to be used in Ukraine

On May 13, 2022, it became known about the endowment of the Orlan-10 reconnaissance drone with strike functions and its use during the Russian special operation in Ukraine. These unmanned aerial vehicles weigh 14 kg, can carry 5 kg of payload and fly about 110 km.

During the special operation, the military for the first time used a new modification of the drone, which can now deliver high-precision attacks on the ground - to hit manpower and equipment, - said on the air of "Stars" (official TV channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation).

Russian reconnaissance drones "Orlan-10" became combat

The shells are in closed containers suspended under the wings of the drone. The full ammunition is four high-explosive fragmentation shells capable of hitting automobile equipment, mortar weapons and enemy manpower. It is emphasized that while the new modification of the Orlan-10 strikes light armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Drone operators hit the found target with ammunition from a height of two kilometers, the Ministry of Defense added. According to the military, the maximum deviation when hit is only a couple of meters.

It is noted that the Orlan-10 unmanned complex is used to conduct remote aviation monitoring of ground and water surfaces, detect objects day and night in simple and difficult weather conditions. According to the Zvezda TV channel, in the first two weeks of May 2022, Orlan-10 drones destroyed five military facilities of the Ukrainian army and returned.

The developer and manufacturer of Orlan is the Special Technology Center (STC), it produces 11 different modifications of the drone. According to Interfax, Orlan-10 is one of the main drones of the Russian Armed Forces, more than 1 thousand of them were delivered.^[1]

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