Voenkor found out where the Russian Orion UAVs disappeared

24

For a number of years before the start of the SVO, the domestic Orion UAV, developed by the Kronstadt company as a Russian response to the Turkish Bayraktar, was actively promoted in Russia. This was brought to the attention of military journalist Alexander Rogatkin, who decided to study this issue on his Telegram channel “Rogatkin Live”.

He noted that Orion performed well at the testing grounds and during various tests. A new plant was even built in the Moscow region for serial production of the Orion-Pacer, but this UAV has not yet been able to show itself in Ukraine.



They were eclipsed by the Lancets and primitive FPV drones, which thrashed such a heap of enemy equipmentthat several tanks and trucks shot down by Orion in Mariupol did not make a difference. In general, the same thing happened with Orion as with the Turkish Bayraktar. This war is not for medium-altitude UAVs. In layered air defense, they are, to put it mildly, useless as attack drones. As Ukrainian strategists admitted, Russian air defense shot down almost all Bayraktars in the first months of the Northern Military District

- he specified.

The journalist pointed out that little is known about the losses of the Orions during the SVO. For the only time, the wreckage of one apparatus that fell in April 2022 near Kherson was demonstrated. At the same time, despite the low efficiency, the construction of an enterprise for the production of Bayraktars is not stopped in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces even used Bayraktars in the form of kamikaze UAVs, having recently attacked an oil refinery in Tatarstan with them. In turn, Russia also has not abandoned the Orions, but it is unlikely to use them in the form of kamikaze UAVs, since the Russian Armed Forces have Caliber and Iskander for this purpose.

Such drones, first of all, can work as both radio signal repeaters and jammers. Well, they are also ideal for patrolling front-line zones, in case of breakthroughs by DRGs. In general, the Orions have not yet said their last word, and it is too early to write them off. We hope that when the Russian army moves forward, having plowed up the remnants of the Ukrainian air defense with FABs, they will still have to clear numerous cauldrons from the sky, as was the case in Mariupol. Everything will come in handy in war!

He summed up.
24 comments
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  1. prior
    prior
    +4
    April 7 2024 10: 03
    Each tool has its own purpose.
    The main thing is to determine what it is better suited for than others.
  2. Vladimir Tuzakov
    Vladimir Tuzakov
    +7
    April 7 2024 11: 44
    The Orions are completely suitable for protecting ships and bases of the Black Sea Fleet from fire ships. But why don’t they use it, because the threats have not yet decreased. And in other navies, the need for air patrols is widespread, even the grandfathers of the Be-12 are resurrected for patrolling. For front-line use, UAVs are needed that are comparable to 5th generation aircraft.
    1. VladimirNET
      VladimirNET
      0
      April 8 2024 03: 09
      Quote: Vladimir Tuzakov
      The Orions are completely suitable for protecting ships and bases of the Black Sea Fleet from fire ships. Just why don't they use it?

      1. Because there are few of them.
      2. Are they sure they will hit a small drone on the water?
      3. It is medium-height, and therefore the higher it is, the less accuracy?
      4. In theory, it is BIG, whereas in general it should be placed there and launched from a ship.

      It’s another thing for him to CONSTANTLY fly over ships...
      1. Vladimir Tuzakov
        Vladimir Tuzakov
        +3
        April 8 2024 11: 04
        "Orion", main for patrol and detection. There are different methods to eliminate a detected danger. First of all, the presence of high-precision weapons on the Orion.
  3. Sergey Latyshev
    Sergey Latyshev
    -8
    April 7 2024 12: 35
    The Orions weren't the only ones who disappeared...
    Armata, checkmate, uranium and much more....
    The money has been spent, they don’t allocate much money for PR anymore, but you can write hundreds of explanations why they don’t exist....
    (just like the joke about the coach and the letters)
    1. svoroponov
      svoroponov
      +4
      April 7 2024 17: 55
      Orions are conducting reconnaissance in the depths of Ukrainian territory. Much that is then in the rear at a reconnaissance distance of 100 to 300 km and maybe further, comes under attack from our weapons, often at their suggestion. In Syria they also work in civilian life around the country for various departments.
      Just because it’s not in the press doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It just became commonplace.
    2. VladimirNET
      VladimirNET
      0
      April 8 2024 03: 13
      Quote: Sergey Latyshev
      The Orions weren't the only ones that disappeared... the Uranus

      In the rear, they will definitely clear the mines, they said on the radio.
      1. Sergey Latyshev
        Sergey Latyshev
        +3
        April 8 2024 08: 45
        And they allegedly showed it on TV.
        And on Zvezda they promoted entire families of different-sized ground-based drones armed to the teeth to the North Military District. And not a word about them... Either it’s top secret, or they don’t exist...
    3. Vasya_33
      Vasya_33
      +1
      April 8 2024 10: 31
      that Armata was given to many of you.
      DShK from the 30s - and still...
      mg42 (modernized) - in the Bundeswehr...
      Mosin in WWII, and Maxim too...
      (I’m generally silent about Kalashnikov)

      take the army of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: Soviet weapons are better than modern NATO ones...

      with the Armata it would be the same as with the German Pz.Kpfw. V

      Cheap and effective weapons are needed at the front. PPSh as an example.
      1. Sergey Latyshev
        Sergey Latyshev
        +3
        April 8 2024 12: 47
        The point here is not about Armata itself, IMHO. She's just a memorable example.
        Lies and unfulfilled promises.
  4. L_L
    L_L
    -1
    April 7 2024 12: 35
    We hope that when the Russian army goes forward, plowing up the remnants of the Ukrainian air defense with FABs

    As if she is not moving forward on those. conditions.
    It is not moving forward because you do not have the courage, as a whole country, to name the main Russian problem.
    1. VladimirNET
      VladimirNET
      -1
      April 8 2024 18: 21
      Quote: L_L
      It is not moving forward because you do not have the courage, as a whole country, to name the main Russian problem.

      Do not compare the army of 1941-45 with the modern one: the USSR had a larger population, and the army at the beginning of the war was more than 5 million soldiers!
      And this is all without taking into account the NEW conscription at the beginning of the war. That’s why we can no longer allow such large losses (as happened there), that’s why we are knocking out (manpower, enemy equipment) for now: without plans for large cities.
      1. Nikolay Volkov
        Nikolay Volkov
        +2
        April 9 2024 05: 37
        Do not compare the army of 1941-45 with the modern one

        you are right... THAT army did not lose 1,5 million Ratnik kits... and the equipment from the factories went to the front, and not to exhibitions and reports that have no analogues in the world...

        In general, covering up your insignificance with past exploits is such a thing...

        and yes, the army of Nazi Germany at the time of the invasion of the USSR was the STRONGEST in the world, and not the 22nd... therefore, passing off primitive frontal assaults (which you called grinding someone) as a new cunning tactic that the stupid Stalins had no idea about, - also not worth it.
        1. VladimirNET
          VladimirNET
          0
          April 9 2024 23: 01
          Quote: Nikolai Volkov
          present primitive frontal assaults (which you called grinding someone down) as a new tactic

          You are simplifying TOO TOO, and without any reason,
          look at the answers from military correspondent Marat Khairullin (from Donetsk):

          Front Operations Explained: Front Report July 31
          https://rutube.ru/video/fe04f39f41318fd11708b07b7725a637/

          Why don't we attack - watch from 49:07
          https://rutube.ru/video/d4376b60263bc6b05239aa6096ac3628/
  5. Flight
    Flight
    +1
    April 8 2024 03: 23
    He noted that Orion performed well at the testing grounds and during various tests. A new plant was even built in the Moscow region for serial production of the Orion-Pacer, but this UAV has not yet been able to show itself in Ukraine.

    The key phrase is that he couldn’t prove himself.
    And why? Knowing Russian reality, any assumption leads to one thing - was there a boy?
  6. CEBEP
    CEBEP
    +3
    April 8 2024 10: 45
    Everything is banally simple. There are two reasons for the complete absence of the Orion UAV, both technical. The first is global. We do not have satellite channels for real-time information exchange and... We cannot service UAVs of this type. Secondly, the problem with the engine for the UAV has not been solved. Our defense industry, stupidly copying the Austrian Rotax and its digital control system, failed. Moreover, the main stupidity was to copy, it would be better to create your own... So "Orion" ended up in the niche of lighter UAVs and it is not in demand, even without taking into account the problems with the engine...
  7. AC130 Gunship
    AC130 Gunship
    +2
    April 8 2024 20: 24
    The 25-30 year gap behind the United States in UAVs cannot be caught up in one year. And while Orion is being experimentally tested with 4 air-to-surface missiles, the Americans are already testing with 16. Well, we’ll modestly add that their attack UAV flies for XNUMX hours without refueling, being several thousand kilometers from the operator
    1. Nikolay Volkov
      Nikolay Volkov
      +3
      April 9 2024 05: 44
      All that remains is to clarify where the lag of 25-30 years came from and who was responsible for it...

      the same Maxim Kalashnikov (with all the ambiguous attitude towards him) has been repeating for 10, if not 15 years: drones, drones, drones...

      to which the big-stars shrugged it off and muttered that we have such unparalleled planes and rockets that as soon as they take off, they immediately woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

      It’s just that something about this is not observed...
  8. Earl
    Earl
    0
    April 9 2024 10: 59
    I have long noticed that the more the media talk about some new product funded by the state, the more they steal from it.
  9. Muscool
    Muscool
    +1
    April 9 2024 12: 29
    Bayraktar kamikaze?
  10. savage3000
    savage3000
    0
    April 10 2024 19: 48
    Bayraktar kamikazes? Refinery? What nonsense?
  11. wladimirjankov
    wladimirjankov
    0
    April 11 2024 19: 46
    A new plant was even built in the Moscow region for serial production of the Orion-Pacer, but this UAV has not yet been able to show itself in Ukraine.

    It looks like there are no components for this pacer. The most important of which is the engine. For such a UAV you need your own radar, electronic warfare, and your own small guided missiles. And attaching a trumpet from an ATGM to a cornet or a chrysanthemum is not a good life. And there were so many praises and advances given to him. And a huge new plant was built and equipment was delivered, and Shoigu himself walked around the buildings there and demonstrated and told how great everything was and how quickly everything would be put into production. and they will overwhelm the army with these orions and thunders.
  12. Dust
    Dust
    -1
    April 11 2024 23: 25
    Hunters in combination with the SU-57 also “promoted” at one time, the third year of the war, where are they? You can also tell jokes about the Coalition...
  13. Dmitry Volkov
    Dmitry Volkov
    +1
    April 16 2024 06: 47
    Orion, this is a ready-made platform, you can install guided gliding bombs, a PKTM 7,62 machine gun, a thermal imager seems to be there, and we set off to look for drone operators and other Bandera equipment, a salvo from a machine gun of 100 rounds, this is a guaranteed hit target at a distance of up to a kilometer, except for a tank and BMP...