Russia to bring first unmanned combat aircraft into service by 2020

The Russian Air Force is to receive its first unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) into service by 2020, with testing provisionally scheduled for 2017. Successful U.S. operations using drone aircraft in Pakistan and Afghanistan spurred Russia to revive its development program.

he Russian Air Force is to receive its first unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) into service by 2020. It is expected that state trials or field tests of the new UCAVs may start in 2017. According to Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov, research and development work for this project is now nearly complete. Drone fighters are able to tackle strategic tasks because they are difficult to detect and have better combat sustainability than manned aircraft. There are over 600 types of unmanned aerial vehicles produced in the world today, including 25 in Russia. A mere 20 years ago, Moscow was an undisputed leader in this field: In the 1980s, it manufactured 950 Tu-143 reconnaissance UAVs alone. However, the Defense Ministry then wound up drone production, since it no longer had either the money or ideological reasons to commission this type of aircraft.

It was the Americans who prompted the Russian military to revive the program. Successful U.S. operations with the use of UAVs in Afghanistan and Pakistan have shown that no war of the future can be conducted without drones. All the more so since training an ordinary military pilot takes many years and millions of dollars, while creating a drone takes far less time and money. Furthermore, drones reduce loss of life. Personnel operating them are based well behind their troop positions and will never get hurt in fighting. Another impulse behind Russia’s drive to develop its own UCAVs was the 2008 war in South Ossetia. When the Russian Defense Ministry saw that the Georgian side was using Israeli drones, it concluded that this type of aircraft was essential for the new century.

Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines - http://rbth.com/defence/2014/06/22/russia_to_bring_first_unmanned_combat_aircraft_into_service_by_2020_37609.html)