A drone of some kind flies to Russia. Made by the Irkut Corporation, it is a low observability UAV, based on an unconventional aerodynamic configuration. It was designed for reconnaissance and attack in A2 / AD environments (anti-access / denial area).
Little information is leaked from Moscow, but from Izvestia confirms a structural geometric scheme containing unique and never used aerodynamic solutions. Such news is impossible to confirm, but from Moscow is taking advantage of the world showcase of Army-2016 to reveal various assets, even those covered by military secrecy.
The Irkut drone flew for the first time last August. According to what transpires from Moscow, the experimental UAV would not have been detected by radars. When operational, the platform will be equipped with direct energy weapons. It will be based on the GLONASS and will be equipped with artificial intelligence.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has been investing substantial funds in UAV technology for several years. According to rumors, unconfirmed, the gap with the Americans would have been filled. We do not know how real the Iranian contribution can be with the RQ-170 affair Sentinel. Yet a precedent returns to memory, which took place last July, when a drone of some kind violated one of the most protected airspace in the world: that of Israel. With some embarrassment, the Israelis claimed that the drone was not intercepted despite three missiles being launched against it. The drone came from Syria. It will never be identified. A few seconds after taking over the UAV on the Golan Heights, the Israelis launch two interceptor missiles Patriot PAC-2 in rapid sequence: both miss the target. The General Staff then decides to send an F-16 to take down the threat, while all missile defense stations in northern Israel are alerted and ready for combat. The fighter frames the drone, fires a missile at him, but fails to hit him. The drone will never be shot down and will return to Syria without suffering any damage. The American and Israeli secret services remain cautious in issuing other news to avoid unpleasant repercussions. The US missile shield, in fact, is sold as one of the best in the world: this episode could confirm that against modern threats, such as UAVs, this asset would be powerless. According to the IDF, the unknown drone could be Russian-made.
(photo: Irkut Corporation)
