MAKS 2021: Foreign customers interested in Russian UCAV Orion-E drone


Kronshtadt Company said foreign customers had displayed interest in its unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Orion-E drone displayed at MAKS-2021 airshow: "Kronshtadt and Rosoboronexport negotiated the deliveries of Orion-E drones with delegations from 13 countries, including the CIS, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa," it said.


Foreign customers display interest in Russian Orion E drone

Orion-E unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) (Picture source : Vitaly Kuzmin)


Also known as Helios, the Orion-2 is a larger version of the original Orion, with a bigger payload. It is classified as a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV, instead of the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) classification of the original Orion. It weighs 5-tonne (11,000-pound) with a wingspan of 30 meters (98.42 feet).[9] A first full-scale mock-up was unveiled on August 27, 2020, at the Kronstadt pilot plant.[10] The first flight is planned for 2023.

The static display of the company at MAKS featured a reconnaissance-strike helicopter with long flight duration Orion-E of a new modification with a satellite channel of data transmission, as well as Gelios-RLD radar surveillance drone. "Foreign countries displayed big interest in new capabilities of Orion-E and expressed the wish to begin cooperation in bigger Kronshtadt complexes - Gelios-RLD and Grom drones," it said.

CEO Sergey Bogatikov said the company for the first time had negotiated at the airshow with a record-high number of foreign representatives, including traditional and new customers.

Kronshtadt is the leader of the Russian industry in the creation of high-tech heavy drones. It has been designing, producing and operating them for over ten years.