PATRIOT PARK /Moscow Region/, August 14. /TASS/. The Optical and Mechanical Design Bureau Astron has for the first time presented an upgraded reconnaissance drone UAV400T, equipped with a system for dropping shaped-charge ammunition, at the international military-technical forum Army 2023.

"It is clear to everyone that reconnaissance drones are very necessary and important for the army, but means of attack are also required. It was decided to make some refinements to upgrade the UAV400T, equipping it with a system for dropping ammunition. The upgraded "flying thermal imager" was presented for the first time at the Army-2023 forum. Our vehicles are already being used in the area of the special military operation, including its upgraded version," Astron's spokesman told TASS.

The drone is equipped with a thermal imaging reconnaissance channel. The "flying thermal imager" is designed for searching, detecting, identifying and determining the coordinates of targets round the clock.

"The device has been equipped with a system of aiming and dropping four shaped-charge pieces of ammunition weighing 0.2 kilograms, designed and manufactured by the Institute of Applied Physics JSC," Astron said.

The UAV’s takeoff weight is up to 1.7 kilograms, radius of action up to 5 kilometers, and flight altitude above the launch site, up to 3 kilometers. The range of exposing the enemy's manpower - up to 350 meters in daytime and up to 400 meters at night. The range of detecting equipment is up to 800 m. The Army 2023 international military-technical forum is running at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center, the Alabino training ground and the Kubinka airfield west of Moscow on August 14-20. About 1,500 leading Russian defense enterprises and 85 foreign companies and businesses from seven countries are participating. The Russian Defense Ministry is the forum’s organizer and TASS is its media partner.