russian propaganda media reports that they have a new high-speed drone called Astra-PVO, which can perform the tasks of both an interceptor of air targets and be used as a strike UAV. This drone was allegedly created by specialists from the repair company of the 20th combined-arms army of the "West" group of the enemy invading forces, as reported by representatives of the unit itself.
According to the russians, the special feature of this drone will be its high speed, which can reach up to 560 km/h. In view of this, it should be considered as an interceptor. This drone can perform kinetic interception or, if necessary, can be equipped with a warhead. It should be noted that at present there is no independent confirmation that this drone can really develop such a high speed.
Read more: U.S. Marines 3D-Print Over 1,000 Parts, 12 FPV Drones Aboard USS Essex at Sea in 3.6m Waves, Then Fly Them at RIMPAC Exercises
russians do not disclose other tactical and technical characteristics of this new UAV (if it, of course, exists at all). At the same time, russian media say that the capabilities of the Astra-PVO drone "will be fully revealed after being equipped with artificial intelligence".
What exactly the russians mean by the phrase "equipped with artificial intelligence" is currently unknown, but it raises additional questions, such as: what is the current level of automation of this drone's control and is it equipped with, for example, a target guidance system? The system is very important for eliminating the dependence of the interception success on the operator's skill, and also helps to work better in the conditions of electronic warfare.
Regarding the strike version of the drone, which was called Astra-KZ, it is known that it can be equipped with a cumulative warhead of the RPG-7 munition. The russians expect to hit equipment and fortifications with such a drone.
If the russians can really accelerate this UAV to a speed of 560 km/h, then this should make it easier for them to intercept Ukrainian drones of various types. It is not yet known how close the russians have come to this figure.
Recall that the current unofficial speed record for a battery-powered FPV drone is 699 km/h - it belongs to a drone by the German defense company Quantum Systems, which plans to use such a solution to launch its new line of anti-aircraft drones.
Currently, there is no information about the stage of development of the russian Astra-PVO UAV and whether this drone even exists. At least now, open sources only contain statements from the russian side. while there are no photos or videos confirming the existence of such a development.
As Defense Express reported, Quantum Systems won first €30M contract for Skyron-400 rocket-boosted interceptor, 5,000m altitude, 380 km/h top speed, customer undisclosed.
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