A characteristic problem of tanks, which has not yet been fully resolved, is the relatively poor visibility of the surrounding area. Previously, such tasks were solved using a set of optical instruments installed on various parts of the combat vehicle, including as part of the commander's cupola. To date, optical-electronic systems have appeared and have been developed. However, due to different reasons the review from the workplaces of the crew of armored vehicles may leave much to be desired. Not so long ago, a new proposal regarding the improvement of the review appeared. As an additional means of studying the situation, it is proposed to use a special unmanned aerial vehicle, which is part of the onboard equipment of the armored vehicle.
A new domestic project, involving the acquisition of promising tanks with a drone, became known a few days ago. On November 18, the Izvestia publication published an article “Armata will be armed with a reconnaissance drone”, which described one of the original developments of domestic specialists. An unusual element of the onboard equipment of the tank is being developed by specialists from the Moscow Aviation Institute. It is assumed that the original unmanned vehicle will improve the situational awareness of promising T-14 tanks built on the basis of the Armata platform.
According to press reports, the UAV project called "Pterodactyl" was developed by the Aviation Robotic Systems Department of the Moscow Aviation Institute. Currently, the authors of the project are engaged in development work. The general appearance of the apparatus and methods of its use have already been formed. In addition, some original ideas were worked out and tested during the tests. Work continues to improve the already created design, the purpose of which is to facilitate aircraft and an increase in payload mass. Complete current work planned during the year. After that, prototypes of the Pterodactyl and other equipment necessary for their use will be transferred to the Ministry of Defense.
The T-14 tank is a possible carrier of the Pterodactyl UAV. Photo by Wikimedia Commons
The Izvestia article reveals some technical details of the project that are of great interest. UAV "Pterodactyl" is proposed to be built according to the tiltrotor scheme. It should be equipped with rotary propeller groups, thanks to which it will receive unique flight data. Depending on the position of the propellers, the drone will be able to hover in place or perform maneuvers typical of helicopters. In addition, horizontal flight "like an airplane" will be provided. Depending on the tasks set and the characteristics of the existing situation, the operator of the unmanned complex will be able to choose the most appropriate mode of operation of the aircraft.
From the point of view of practical application, the tiltrotor apparatus is of interest due to the possibility of alternately using the main flight modes. So, vertical takeoff will be useful for launching vehicles from a mobile platform in the form of a tank. The possibility of high-speed flight, in turn, will allow you to accompany the armored vehicle, regardless of the characteristics of its movements. Thus, in theory, the tank crew will be able to launch a reconnaissance UAV at any time, which will accompany the land vehicle for the required time.
Within the framework of the Pterodactyl project, it was proposed to lighten the design of the device and increase some performance characteristics by abandoning their own power supply systems. In accordance with the idea of the designers from the MAI, there will be no large and heavy batteries on board the drone. Instead, a cable connecting the UAV and the carrier tank will be used to power the electric motors. Thanks to this, all power generation and transmission systems will be located on board a land vehicle that does not have strict weight restrictions.
It is also proposed to control a promising drone using a cable communication line. Commands from the operator's console will be received on board the device using wires connected to the power cables. Similarly, the video signal and information from various on-board systems should be transmitted “to the ground”. Wired control of an aircraft makes it possible to reduce its flight weight due to the absence of a receiver and radio signal processing equipment. In addition, unlike the radio channel traditional for UAVs, a wired communication system cannot be detected by electronic intelligence and suppressed by electronic warfare systems.
According to the latest data, the Pterodactyl UAV will carry optoelectronic equipment, including a thermal imager. It is also proposed to use a small-sized radar station. It is alleged that the device of a new type will be able to rise to a height of up to several tens of meters and be removed at a distance of up to 50-100 m from the carrier vehicle. Using optical instruments and radar, the drone will be able to monitor the surrounding area and perform detection of various targets. The time of continuous operation in the air will be maximized by using the power supply from the carrier.
Established standard means observations of modern and promising tanks are located at a height of no more than a few meters above the ground. This makes it possible to dispense with excessively complex design solutions, but it significantly limits the observation range. The deployment of a block of optoelectronic equipment and a radar station on a drone capable of climbing to a height of several tens of meters will increase the size of the observation zone accordingly. It should be especially noted that the new project of the Moscow Aviation Institute proposes the use of not only optical reconnaissance equipment, but also radar equipment.
The Pterodactyl apparatus will have to be controlled from a remote control installed in the habitable compartment of the base armored vehicle. Thus, the gunner or tank commander will control the drone, one of whose tasks is to monitor the situation and search for targets. A screen displaying a video signal or data from a small-sized radar of an unmanned vehicle can be a good addition to regular surveillance equipment.
Representatives of the development organization claim that so far some tests have been carried out on individual elements and ideas used in promising project. In particular, the so-called. tethered scheme, which implies the connection of an armored carrier vehicle and an unmanned vehicle with a flexible cable with separate conductors for supplying electricity, commands and signals from surveillance equipment. Now the authors of the project are working on reducing the mass of the structure and increasing the carrying capacity. Such improvements will improve certain characteristics of a technical and operational nature.
To complete the required work, the authors of the Pterodactyl project will need certain time. Over the next year, it is planned to complete development work, prepare the necessary documentation, as well as build and test experimental equipment. After that, the prototypes of the promising UAV are planned to be transferred to the Ministry of Defense for the necessary tests.
A new project being created at the Moscow Aviation Institute is proposed practical use several original ideas, capable of significantly improving certain characteristics of an existing or promising armored vehicles. In particular, the newest main tank T-14 is called the main carrier of the Pterodactyl UAV and related equipment. At the same time, however, there is reason to believe that such equipment can also be used in the modernization of existing serial armored vehicles of one type or another.
The characteristic capabilities acquired by tanks when using a new complex with an unmanned aerial vehicle, in theory, can significantly change the potential of armored vehicles. Working for open area, tanks with "Pterodactyls" will be able to monitor within a large zone, detecting potentially dangerous objects in time. Modern systems communications and command and control will also allow tanks to exchange information about the situation on the battlefield, increasing the overall effectiveness of the combat operation of the connection.
Also, additional means of observation can be useful when fighting in urban areas. In the presence of a mass of buildings and structures that limit free spaces, the existing shortcomings of tanks in the form of a limited view are especially pronounced. The addition of existing optical and optoelectronic devices with an unmanned aerial vehicle will significantly improve the potential of an armored vehicle in terms of target detection.
However, like many other developments, new project not without flaws. Some of them can be identified already at the stage of consideration of the proposed concept. Some features of the "tethered" drone can be considered shortcomings, while others can be the subject of controversy. Nevertheless, all these features of the project are its integral features, and the elimination of such shortcomings may entail a serious revision of the main ideas and decisions.
The main reason for claims already at the level of the very concept of the new project can be considered the use of wired communication between the carrier and the unmanned aerial vehicle. For all its advantages, the flexible cable is in no way protected from bullets and shrapnel, because of which it can be damaged at any time during the battle. Damage to one or more conductors from the composition of such a cable will lead to the fact that the drone may lose the possibility of further use of on-board equipment or simply fall, left without electricity for the main motors. It should be noted that the flexible cable proposed in the Pterodactyl project, by definition, cannot be protected from existing threats, which leads to the need to look for other solutions.
Damage to any of the wires should lead to engine shutdown or loss of control. Without traction and control, the UAV will not be able to solve the assigned tasks or simply fall to the ground. Protection against this can be the redundancy of control systems due to additional devices for transmitting commands over the air and supplementing the power plant with backup batteries. However, in the case of such refinement, the aircraft loses one of its main advantages - the relative simplicity of the design.
Robotic complex "Whirlwind", a reconnaissance drone is visible above the tower. Photo Defense.ru
From the point of view of survivability in a combat situation, a specific combination of the proposed design of the device and the methodology for its use raises certain doubts. Not being able to move away from the carrier tank at a distance of more than a few tens of meters and being at a relatively low altitude, the UAV of the original appearance can be a convenient target for the enemy. The absence of any means of protection will allow enemy shooters to fire at him with a high probability of destruction. Also, the drone can become a victim of a random bullet or shrapnel.
The problem of low survivability of a light unmanned aerial vehicle can hardly be solved by equipping the equipment with ballistic protection. Thus, the only real way maintaining the possibility of monitoring the situation at high risks of loss of equipment may be the introduction of several drones into the complex. In the event of the loss of one, the crew of the carrier tank will be able to lift another into the air.
It should be noted that the Pterodactyl project is not the first domestic development of its class. During the Army-2016 International Military-Technical Forum, held in September of this year, the Defense Ministry's Main Research and Testing Robotics Center for the first time showed its new development, which uses similar ideas. The new Vikhr robotic complex is based on the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle, but is distinguished by the presence of a mass of new devices and assemblies.
To solve some tasks, the operators of the Whirlwind complex can use several unmanned vehicles with different characteristics. So, for reconnaissance, it is proposed to use a drone with six rotors connected to the carrier vehicle using a flexible cable. The possibility of lifting to a height of up to 30 m is declared, which greatly increases the possibility of observing the terrain. It was alleged that by the beginning of the Army-2016 exhibition, the Whirlwind complex had passed preliminary tests and performed well.
Thus, on this moment known about two domestic projects equipping armored vehicles with a "tethered" drone necessary for surveillance. In both cases, according to available data, the original concept has confirmed its capabilities in the framework of various tests. Thanks to this development interesting ideas can continue until the completion of development work and development new technology troops.
The Vikhr combat robotic complex has already entered full-fledged tests, during which, apparently, it showed all the capabilities of the UAV connected to the carrier using a cable. In the foreseeable future, another similar development will have to be tested. The MAI project called "Pterodactyl" proposes the use of a number of interesting ideas that can positively affect the characteristics and combat capabilities of both individual combat vehicles and entire units. Whether the new Pterodactyl project will cope with the tasks set and whether it will justify the hopes placed on it, time will tell. The authors of this development claim that the experimental equipment will be transferred to the Ministry of Defense in about a year.
According to the websites:
http://izvestia.ru/
https://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
https://regnum.ru/
https://defence.ru/
https://mai.ru/
Combat vehicles from the Armata family are planned to be equipped with , which will rise into the sky and scan the area at a distance of tens of kilometers around the tank, helping its crew to detect the enemy and direct their own combat means. Such a drone, designed at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), will be able to stay in the air for almost unlimited time, since it does not have onboard current sources, and it must receive power via a flexible cable directly from the tank.
The main secrets of the tank "Armata"
"Pterodactyl" - this is the name given to this new lightweight UAV - has a casing made of composite materials, so it is durable and lightweight, well, it will be powered by electricity from the tank via cable. At the same time, he will be able to fly around the car within a radius of 50-100 meters and climb into the sky to a height of several tens of meters. The "eyes" of the UAV will be a portable radar and a thermal imager - a night vision device.
Today, the most important part of the system, the tethered cable circuit, has already been tested in the institute's laboratory and has fully confirmed all the specified characteristics. It is clear that having cable power is very beneficial. Firstly, this is an unlimited resource of being in the air, and secondly, there are no batteries - this means that the UAV has less weight, which allows you to hang more of anything on it useful equipment. Finally, such a power and control system is completely protected from enemy influence.
Another feature of the "Pterodactyl" is that it is designed according to the scheme of a tiltrotor - an aircraft with propellers turn together with the wings, which allows you to combine the advantages of both an airplane and a helicopter in one car. Thanks to this feature, it is quite possible to move along with a tank moving at full speed. In addition, he is able to rise from a very small area, that is - and this is the most important - directly from the hull of the tank.
However, here an ordinary quadrocopter could be used. Behind the tower, install a box with swinging covers and in it are two portable quadrocopters and two winches for a thin and light (the latter is very important) power supply and control cable. In any case, such "flying eyes" will never be superfluous for a tank.
As often happens, for the first time such a technical solution was implemented back in the late 1960s on the West German experimental unmanned helicopter Dornier Do-32K, which received fuel for the engine via cable and was simultaneously controlled by it. The cable power system is used on the modern Israeli Hovermast copter, but it does not work in tandem with the combat vehicle. That is, Russian designers and here managed to come up with something in which they overtook others.
Here it is worth noting that the author of this material wrote about a tank with elevating combat modules in his book "Tanks are unique and paradoxical", published back in 2007. True, a twin-screw (with coaxial screws) apparatus was proposed there, which was not only a reconnaissance aircraft, but could also carry weapons - two launchers for anti-tank missiles. The instrument cluster was in his armored ball above the propellers, and the propellers themselves had an annular guard for safety reasons.
The creators of the "Pterodactyl" believe that the combination of a UAV with a tank, as mentioned in the above-mentioned publication, is especially suitable for advanced models of armored vehicles, where the range of weapons is less than the range of on-board detection tools. For example, the Armata cannon is capable of hitting a target at a distance of eight kilometers, but the recognition range of such an object as an enemy tank through the sighting channel is only five kilometers. That is, the tank gets the opportunity to fire a projectile at it, controlled from a distance, outside the line of sight. For example, it can be a projectile guided by a laser beam, and it will be possible to highlight the target with this beam from an UAV. So, equipped with such drones, they will be able to survey the area at a distance of at least 10 kilometers, which will provide undeniable superiority over any of the models of existing armored vehicles that do not have such UAVs.
By the way, in the past there were also many curious, and sometimes completely fantastic projects for combining an aircraft and a tank. The first and most famous, of course, is the project of a flying tank by W. Christie, which had a propeller driven by a tank engine, and a biplane wing box with the same double tail. The designer assumed that his tank-aircraft would be able to take off from an ordinary airfield, reach enemy territory by air, land on tracks there, drop wings and go into battle! Moreover, all this was proposed in 1931, that is, in fact, at the dawn of armored vehicles, which had just begun to move away from the clumsy English "diamonds".
During the war years, we in the USSR tested almost the same drop box of two wings and two-keel plumage, which was attached to the T-60 tank. There was no propeller on it, and the tank with wings had to take off in tow. The system was called "Tank Wings". It was tested in 1942, but did not enter service, as there were no sufficiently powerful and good towing aircraft.
Projects of tanks-airfields were developed, which were a short metal take-off platform mounted on the hulls of several tanks. An aircraft was attached to the platform from above, which started from it, conducted reconnaissance of the area or even attacked the enemy, and then landed on the same platform, as if on the deck of an aircraft carrier. It is clear that such a "military circus" remained in the end on paper.
Autogyro tanks with folding blades were supposed. And in the already mentioned book "Tanks Unique and Paradoxical", a project was proposed for a tank-helicopter, that is, a helicopter chassis, under which a light, highly mobile tank was attached. Being fastened together, this helicopter-tank could use the weapons of this tank, and then land and "let it go free", and then fly away for fuel and ammunition. How "crazy" this idea is to be adopted, only time will tell.
In the post-war period, there was a lot of talk about combat vehicles with lifting warheads. In fact, a caterpillar or wheeled chassis was equipped with something like a folding crane boom, at the end of which surveillance and destruction equipment were installed. For example, containers with rockets. Such a machine could hide in a ravine, behind a fence, behind trees and fire from there. But such machines were not mass-produced, since they could only fire from a place. A lot of precious time was spent on lifting the boom and cleaning it.
A new round in the development of combined combat vehicles is associated with the emergence and spread of UAVs. Moreover, in principle, any tanks can be equipped with them. So, it can be very cheap and primitive UAVs that start directly from the hull of a tank or an infantry fighting vehicle vertically. The wings of such devices open after they are launched, and they themselves are disposable. Being launched, such a UAV is gaining altitude, transmitting television channel an image of the terrain on the tank, after which the tank crew directs it to the selected target, since it has a cumulative warhead.
Such devices can be very cheap, but their main drawback is that they are controlled not by a secure cable, but by radio, that is, their communication channel with the tank can be “clogged” with enemy interference.
In principle, it is possible to create and use even special machines - UAV carriers with up to a dozen or more aircraft for various purposes, including those controlled by wire.
There have been so many skeptical and critical discussions about this new platform, but the "caravan goes" on. Several hundred samples are already being tested in active units and preparations are underway for the serial production of 2000 pieces. However, what interesting news I saw yesterday. It's not even about when it will be, but that it's just interesting, unusual, and it seems to me fresh idea. It is strange that it is so little used in the world. Look here...
The newest Russian Armata tank will be equipped with reconnaissance drones that will be able to scan the battlefield for several kilometers around them.
According to the publication, the drone was developed by the Moscow Aviation Institute. It will be connected to the tank by a flexible cable, will be able to stay in the air for an unlimited time and direct the cannon and missiles of the "Armata" at the target. The UAV was named "Pterodactyl" - it is a lightweight device with a sheathing made of composite materials. The range of the drone is 50-100 meters, the maximum height is several tens of meters. "Pterodactyl" will receive a radar and a thermal imager.
“In a year we will transfer the product to the Ministry of Defense,” Vitaly Polyansky told Izvestia.
This, of course, is not a Pterodactyl, this is a Russian tiltrotor drone RHV-35 presented by the Russian Helicopters concern. Its weight is 35 kg, it can rise to a height of up to two kilometers and carry a payload of up to 6 kg. The flight range of the drone in automatic mode is about 450 km. The drone is powered by a hybrid power point, allowing you to accelerate to 140 km / h.
Now the MAI is working on reducing the weight of the drone and increasing its carrying capacity, but most importantly, the design of the device has already been approved and has been tested in the laboratory. "Pterodactyl" will be able to stay in the air much longer than other drones, and carry more equipment due to the fact that it will not take batteries on board.
Another advantage of the tethered control system is complete protection against interception of information.
Another feature of the "Pterodactyl" is that it is made according to the scheme of a tiltrotor - an aircraft whose propellers can turn along with the wings. Such a scheme allows you to combine the advantages of an airplane and a helicopter in one car. Due to this, the drone can develop a high enough speed in the air to move along with the tank at full speed, while it is able to take off from a small area, including directly from the tank hull.
The idea of a reconnaissance unmanned vehicle controlled via a flexible cable is not new - for the first time such a solution was implemented in the late 1960s on the West German unmanned experimental helicopter Dornier Do-32K. It was controlled by cable and received fuel through it, - military expert Oleg Zheltonozhko tells Izvestia. - Currently, the cable interface is used on the Israeli copter Hovermast, but it is not used as part of a combat vehicle.
According to Oleg Zheltonozhko, there are no systems when a reconnaissance drone becomes a direct part of a combat vehicle.
The use of a light UAV equipped with a thermal imager and a radar system as an external surveillance system seems to be a logical solution for advanced armored vehicles, the range of which exceeds the visibility range of on-board detection tools, the expert says. - For example, the main gun of the "Armata" is capable of hitting a target at a distance of 8 km, and the range of recognition of an enemy tank through the sighting channel is limited to 5 km. In addition, thanks to the presence of "Pterodactyl", the tank will be able to reveal the situation on the battlefield, remaining in cover or hiding behind buildings or uneven terrain.
According to Zheltonozhko, equipping armored vehicles with external surveillance systems capable of surveying the area at least at a distance of 10 km will provide Armata with an undeniable advantage over any of the existing opponents.
How is the idea in general? Does it have potential? Why is it not developing in the world?
Combat vehicles of the Armata family will be equipped with reconnaissance drones that will scan the battlefield for tens of kilometers around, helping to clarify the situation and aim guns and missiles at the target. At the same time, the drone, developed by the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), is able to stay in the air for an unlimited time, since it does not have on-board batteries and receives electricity via a flexible cable from the combat vehicle.
The Pterodactyl is a lightweight, composite-clad drone that will be connected to the combat vehicle via a flexible cable. The UAV will be able to circle within a radius of 50-100 m around the combat vehicle and rise to a height of several tens of meters. The machine will be equipped with a radar and a thermal imager.
Currently, development work is underway, but in a year we will hand over the product for testing by the Ministry of Defense, ”Vitaly Polyansky, a senior researcher at the Aviation Robotic Systems Department of the MAI, told Izvestia. - At the moment, we are working on lightening the drone and increasing its carrying capacity, however, the key element - the tethered circuit has already been tested in our laboratory and fully confirmed all the specified characteristics.
Compared to radio-controlled drones, Pterodactyl will be able to stay in the air for much longer and take on board more equipment, since it does not have to carry batteries. Another advantage of the tethered control system is complete protection against interception of information.
Another feature of the "Pterodactyl" is that it is made according to the scheme of a tiltrotor - an aircraft whose propellers can turn along with the wings. Such a scheme allows you to combine the advantages of an airplane and a helicopter in one car. Due to this, the drone can develop a high enough speed in the air to move along with the tank at full speed, while it is able to take off from a small area, including directly from the tank hull.
The idea of a reconnaissance unmanned vehicle controlled via a flexible cable is not new - for the first time such a solution was implemented in the late 1960s on the West German unmanned experimental helicopter Dornier Do-32K. It was controlled by cable and received fuel through it, - military expert Oleg Zheltonozhko tells Izvestia. - Currently, the cable interface is used on the Israeli copter Hovermast, but it is not used as part of a combat vehicle.
According to Oleg Zheltonozhko, there are no systems when a reconnaissance drone becomes a direct part of a combat vehicle.
The use of a light UAV equipped with a thermal imager and a radar system as an external surveillance system seems to be a logical solution for advanced armored vehicles, the range of which exceeds the visibility range of on-board detection tools, the expert says. - For example, the main gun of the "Armata" is capable of hitting a target at a distance of 8 km, and the range of recognition of an enemy tank through the sighting channel is limited to 5 km. In addition, thanks to the presence of "Pterodactyl", the tank will be able to reveal the situation on the battlefield, remaining in cover or hiding behind buildings or uneven terrain.
According to Zheltonozhko, equipping armored vehicles with external surveillance systems capable of surveying the area at least at a distance of 10 km will provide Armata with an undeniable advantage over any of the existing opponents.
05:35 — REGNUM Fighting vehicles on the Armata platform will be equipped with reconnaissance drones (UAVs), they will be connected to the vehicle with a flexible cable, Izvestia newspaper writes.
According to Vitaly Polyansky, a senior researcher at the Department of Aviation Robotic Systems of the Moscow Aviation Institute, where the Pterodactyl UAV was developed, a lightweight drone with composite materials will be able to scan the battlefield for tens of kilometers around the vehicle.
With the help of the UAV, the crew of the combat vehicle will be able to find out the situation and aim guns and missiles at the target. "Pterodactyl" will be able to circle around the combat vehicle within a radius of 50-100 meters and rise to a height of several tens of meters.
In the air, "Pterodactyl" will be able to stay without time limits - its energy supply will be carried out via a flexible cable. Due to the fact that it will not have batteries, the UAV will be able to take on board more equipment. Also, thanks to the tethered control system, it is completely protected from interception of information.
Polyansky clarified that development work is currently underway, the drone is lightened and its carrying capacity is increased. For testing in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the product will be transferred, but in a year.
The T-14, based on the Armata heavy tracked platform, is the most modern Russian tank. On this stage a small mass production machines (batch of about 100 units). It is currently the only fourth generation tank in the world. It is also possible to produce heavy infantry fighting vehicles, engineering vehicles, heavy armored personnel carriers, tank support vehicles, reconnaissance and control vehicles on the Armata platform.
The Armata is distinguished from competitors by its original layout solution - the crew of the vehicle is located in an isolated armored capsule at the bottom of the tank, while the tower, unlike any other tank, is uninhabited. It houses an automatic loader and ammunition, completely separated from the crew.
This approach allows you to maximize the chances of survival, even if the tank's armor is pierced and the ammunition detonates. In other tanks, this situation was guaranteed to lead to the death of the entire crew. The control of weapons and the movement of the combat vehicle is completely robotic - otherwise it is impossible to implement such a concept.
It is also worth noting the presence on the T-14 of the serial active protection complex (KAZ) "Afghanit". Radar and ultraviolet direction finders located on the tank detect ammunition flying towards the tank, after which, at the right time, a cloud of shrapnel is fired in their direction, destroying the threat. In addition, KAZ automatically puts impenetrable smoke screens, "deceiving" enemy ATGM missiles.
Background
Military-industrial complex - a set of organizations and enterprises that perform state defense order. The specifics of the military-industrial complex is manifested in the monopoly of the customer, special requirements for quality and technical specifications products, its high science intensity and manufacturability; the need to maintain mobilization capacities, stocks of strategic raw materials and supplies; in the difficulties of entering enterprises of the military-industrial complex into foreign markets weapons and so on.
A breakthrough in the development of the Russian military-industrial complex took place in 2011 with the development of three main areas: the implementation of the state defense order, (GOZ) the modernization of the defense industry, and the creation of the necessary legislative framework.
The role of the military-industrial complex in the foreign economic policy of the state is very significant. The share of defense enterprises accounts for up to a third of exports of machinery and equipment, enterprises.
