Eleron-3 and upgraded Korsar UAVs for Russian army.

The advanced ‘Korsar’ fixed-wing unmanned aerial system will be upgraded, the press office of Russia’s Rostec state hi-tech corporation said. In particular, the system will receive electronic warfare systems and its range will be extended, the press office added.

Eleron-3 reconnaissance UAV (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The unmanned aerial system was unveiled at a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow. The Korsar system comprises several unmanned aerial vehicles, a command and control post and some other systems.

"The system may receive aerial vehicles with better capabilities and additional functions. In particular, the system’s range is planned to be extended to 250 km [155 miles] and its aerial vehicles are expected to receive electronic warfare systems and advanced reconnaissance means," the press office said. According to the press office, "work is in progress to launch the serial production of the Korsar system."

The actual version of the Korsar system is designed for terrain reconnaissance, patrolling, observation flights and aerial survey at a range of 120 kilometers (74.6 miles). The UAV is powered by a pusher piston engine. The Korsar has a speed of 150 km/h (93 mph), a weight of 200 kilograms, a wingspan of 6.5 meters and a length of 4.2 meters.

According to the press office, the UAV can be used for civilian applications, such as environmental monitoring, road and infrastructure observation, forest fire prevention and search-and-rescue operations. The system was developed by the Luch Design Bureau in Rybinsk in central Russia, which is a Rostec subsidiary.

Beside this, Russia’s armed forces will receive 30 Eleron-3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in May under the state defense procurement program, the Defense Ministry’s press office said. "The military representative office in Kazan has started to accept Eleron-3 unmanned aerial vehicles. In accordance with the current state defense procurement program, the manufacturing plant will hand over 30 drones of the type to the Russian Defense Ministry," the press office said.

The serial-produced Eleron-3 UAV is equipped with a module with an IR camera and a low-light level TV camera or a module with a TV camera and a thermal imaging camera. The Eleron-3 can perform autonomous, remote-controlled and patrolling flights, and point observation missions. The UAV returns to the launch site autonomously and uses GPS and GLONASS signals for navigation.

The Eleron UAV is a special short-range reconnaissance system. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.3 kilograms and a payload weight of up to 1 kilogram. It has a speed of 130 km/h (81 mph) and operates at a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters.