New Orlan-10 drones come into service with Russian military base in Tajikistan.

Four new Orlan-10 drones have come into service with a newly-formed battalion of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) deployed at the Russian military base in Tajikistan, the Central Military District (TsVO) said.

Orlan-10 (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"The 201st military base in Tajikistan has received four Orlan-10 drones for its UAV battalion. The new systems will expand the capabilities of the motorized rifle and artillery units. They can do air reconnaissance and detect targets and control gun fire in real time at a maximum distance of up to 120 km. The UAV carry removable modules with thermal imagery, photo and video cameras installed on a gyro-stabilization traversing platform as well as re-transmission equipment," it said.

The Orlan-10 systems can control four drones simultaneously. It can also organize a network of 30 operators to control the payloads of simultaneously launched drones.
The 201st Russian military base in Tajikistan is the biggest Russian military facility beyond the national borders. It is located in two cities - Dushanbe and Bokhtar. The base will remain in Tajikistan until 2042 under an agreement signed in October 2012.

Orlan-10 takeoff weight is 14 kg and the payload is up to 5 kg. It is equipped with a photo camera, gyro-stabilized TV camera and an infrared imager. The cruising speed is 90-150 km/h and the practical ceiling is 5000 meters. Flight duration is 16 hours and the range is up to 120 km from the ground control station (up to 600 km in autonomous regime). The drone is powered by an internal combustion engine. It takes off from a demountable catapult and lands on a parachute.

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