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Russia to boost range of Orion-E reconnaissance/strike drone with satellite link

The Orion is a medium-altitude, long-duration unmanned aerial system with a maximum take-off weight of 1 tonne and a maximum payload weight of 200 kg

Orion-E reconnaissance drone Sergei Karpukhin/TASS

Orion-E reconnaissance drone

© Sergei Karpukhin/TASS

MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. The latest Orion-E reconnaissance drone will be capable of operating at a far greater range after it gets satellite communications, Kronshtadt Company CEO Sergei Bogatikov told TASS on Thursday.

The Orion-E drone with a satellite system was demonstrated at the Army-2021 international military-technical forum outside Moscow in late August.

"This helps considerably expand its operational range and get data from this vehicle in any point of the world when necessary," the chief executive said.

A satellite system allows transmitting data and controlling the drone, he explained.

At present, the Orion-E can be controlled via a radio channel at a range of 250 km. The Orion is a medium-altitude, long-duration unmanned aerial system with a maximum take-off weight of 1 tonne and a maximum payload weight of 200 kg.

According to the data of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport (within the Rostec corporation), Russia is currently offering the drone for exports as an air reconnaissance system. At the same time, Orion drones in their strike version are arriving for Russian troops.

Russian tech firm to offer first drones for shipment to foreign customers in 2022

Russia’s high-tech company Kronshtadt will prepare the first drones for their shipment to foreign customers in 2022, Company CEO Bogatikov said on Wednesday.

"The first several drone systems will be ready for their shipment to foreign customers already in 2022," the company’s press office quoted the chief executive as saying.

"The drones are modular with open architecture and can integrate different equipment, payload and ground components to meet the customer’s requirements, depending on the conditions of their use and assigned tasks," he stressed.

The Kronshtadt Company is a full-cycle enterprise for the production of drones, from their designing to their testing and certification. Since it was established in 1991, the enterprise (formerly known as Tranzas) has been engaged in developing onboard, land and seaborne systems, military equipment simulators and interactive technology.

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