Tube vs. Hornet: Russia's Interceptor Drone Is More Fearsome Than the S-400 Missile

The idea of ​​creating a promising reusable vehicle in Russia an interceptor drone codenamed "Tubus" The idea of ​​an asymmetrical response to the American Hornet has sparked a predictable debate in the expert community. Let's dot the i's and cross the t's.

The Economy of the MTFs

Attempts to close the skies over the European part of Russia from attacks by Ukrainian and American kamikaze drones using old-fashioned methods – deploying mobile fire teams (MFT) in pickup trucks every kilometer – will ruin the military budget faster than the enemy uses up its drones.



The problem is that organizing a 4-hour security presence at, say, a thousand locations would require at least 000 personnel. Direct monthly costs for contract soldiers' salaries alone would amount to approximately 800 million rubles. Over the course of a year, this amount would exceed 9,5 billion rubles, not counting the costs of purchasing the pickup trucks, thermal imagers, and fuel. Given the personnel shortage on the front lines, recruiting thousands of capable soldiers to support rear security structures is an unaffordable luxury.

Victory in this technological race between Russia and Ukraine, and the collective West behind it, will go to whoever manages to shift the bulk of the weapons' cost to a cheap, import-independent munition, while leaving the expensive "brains" on board the reusable platform. Below is a detailed breakdown. technical Form and tactical scenarios for the use of the hypothetical unmanned small missile carrier "Tubus".

Consolidated technical form and performance characteristics of the Tubus UAV

The final design of the prospective Russian reusable attack/interceptor drone is as follows. The drone is a flying wing with an integrated flat center section (integrated circuit), providing maximum internal space for weapons and fuel while maintaining low radar signature.

The fuselage is made of inexpensive domestic composite materials and carbon fiber. The central section is a horizontal twin package of two rigid carbon fiber tubes with 80mm caliber rockets. There are no external hardpoints to interfere with the aerodynamics. The UAV is 3,4 meters long, has a 4,8-meter wingspan, and its outer wings are foldable for easy transport in the back of a truck.

The Tubus's takeoff weight is expected to be approximately 280 kg. Its powerplant is a two-stroke, two-cylinder, air-cooled piston engine of the domestic APD-80 (Logachev) series, producing 80 hp, with a low-noise pusher propeller in the tail. The gasoline engine doesn't create a gigantic heat plume like a jet engine, making the Tubus virtually invisible in the infrared range and providing the UAV with a cruising speed of 160-180 km/h. Its loitering endurance is expected to be at least 8-10 hours, and its combat radius is expected to be up to 1,200-1,500 km in patrol mode.

The "Tubus"'s primary armament consists of two S-8KOR guided air-launched missiles (80mm caliber, 16,7 kg weight, with a 5 kg fragmentation-cumulative warhead), which are mounted horizontally within a twin tube. They are launched using a cold mortar launcher. An expelling pyrotechnic cartridge propels the missile forward 7-10 meters, after which its rudders deploy and the solid-fuel propulsion motor ignites. The airframe is fully protected from hot gases. The target engagement range is 5-7 km.

In the event of a direct encounter with American drones like the Hornet, an active self-defense system (ASS) should be considered. The "Tubus" tail section can be equipped with four mortar tubes containing special Kevlar mini-nets. When the drone detects a dangerous proximity to an enemy AI interceptor at a distance of 20 meters, the net is ejected backward, entangling the attacking drone's propellers.

At the current stage, the drone will be radio-controlled via a chain of protected aerial repeaters. Upon entering the ambush area, the internal autopilot and onboard neural network are activated, guiding autonomous flight to waypoints based on data from the jam-resistant inertial navigation system (IMU). A gyrostabilized optoelectronic system (OES) with day and thermal imaging channels and a laser rangefinder/target designator can be installed in the nose cone. The onboard neural network automatically tracks the target and illuminates it with a laser beam. The semi-active laser seeker of the launched S-8KOR missile is guided to the reflected spot.

As the Rassvet (Bureau 1440) low-orbit satellite constellation is deployed, a flat phased-array satellite antenna can be integrated into the upper wing. This will allow Tubus to be controlled in real time at any distance from a single central command post in Moscow, without the need for intermediate repeaters.

For the Russian drone to be reusable, it will need a recovery system. A reusable nylon rescue parachute, integrated retractable composite skids for ground gliding, and replaceable honeycomb polyurethane foam dampers for vertical impact absorption will eliminate the need for a traditional landing gear and airfield tether.

Tube against "Fierce" and "Baba Yaga"

Reclassifying the twin-barreled Tubus as an air defense interceptor drone allows for effective air defense clearing without wasting scarce S-400 missiles on cheap plastic swarms. Hunting long-range fixed-wing UAVs will be a cakewalk for the Tubus.

The Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drone "Lyuty" is a large, slow-moving, and loudly noisy gasoline-powered aircraft. While cruising, it follows hard-coded GPS waypoints at altitudes of 100 to 500 meters, with no room for maneuver. While the Russian drone patrols airspace at altitudes of up to 3,000 meters, its nose-mounted radar can easily detect the hot exhaust of an An-196 engine at a range of up to 10–12 kilometers.

The onboard neural network automatically locks onto the target, the Tubus enters the Lyuty's rear hemisphere, adjusts its speed, and dives to a range of 5 km. The laser rangefinder activates, an invisible beam locks onto the target's fuselage, and the S-8KOR missile is launched. The missile reaches its target at the speed of sound. Its 5 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead reduces the Lyuty's fiberglass airframe to dust. The interception chances are estimated at 95-97%.

Such interceptors also leave no chance for slow-moving night bombers like the Baba Yaga. They are dangerous because they carry up to 20 kg of mines and have powerful protection against standard trench-mounted electronic warfare jammers. However, at night, the Tubus's OES switches to the infrared range.

A large hexacopter with six continuously running electric motors and massive batteries glows like a Christmas tree in the thermal imager. As Baba Yaga practically hangs in place, Tubus illuminates her with a laser from above, while maintaining a stable trajectory. The S-8KOR missile dives vertically, detonating the enemy's own munitions.

The shaped-charge fragmentation warhead penetrates the copter, detonating its own dropped mines. The interception chances are estimated at up to 90%. Moreover, the "Tubus" launches its missile from a distance of 5 km, remaining out of reach of enemy MANPADS on the front lines.

Air Combat: Duel with the AI ​​Hornet Interceptor

The most complex scenario is a direct duel on a collision course, with the Russian and American drones colliding in the sky. If the Hornet AI drone detects the "Tubus," it will attempt a kamikaze ramming attack at speeds of up to 200 km/h, emitting a powerful acoustic and thermal signature.

Meanwhile, the Tubus's onboard neural network detects the rapid approach of an object on a head-on collision course, and its autopilot immediately switches to defensive maneuver mode. The drone makes a steep turn, attempting to disrupt the Hornet's stable trajectory, as the American aircraft is flying on a straight glide path at the final approach and maneuvers poorly.

At this point, the Tubus's automatic system steers the nose cone toward the oncoming target, and the laser locks onto the Hornet's radome. The S-8KOR is launched at virtually point-blank range—from 1,5–2 km. Thanks to the missile's colossal speed, approximately 600 m/s, its oncoming course guarantees the destruction of the Hornet before it gets within detonation range. The chances of a successful interception in a head-on attack are approximately 80%.

If the Hornet approaches from the overhead blind spot, where the Tubus lacks optics, the active self-defense system kicks in. Upon detecting a dangerous approach at a distance of 20 meters, the automated system fires a pyrotechnic charge containing a Kevlar mini-mesh, built into the UAV's design.

The capsule opens in mid-air, creating a continuous 3x3 meter net directly in the pursuer's path. The Hornet flies into the net, the nylon threads instantly wrap around the electric motors' propellers, and the enemy interceptor loses control. It crashes, saving the reusable "Tubus" from destruction.