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The use of drones for military purposes. Promising areas of application for unmanned aerial vehicles

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Tactical and technical characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles in service with units of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation

For the technical equipment of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles, Russian enterprises have developed several options, consider some of them:

UAV ZALA 421-16E

- this is a long-range unmanned aircraft (Fig. 1.) with an automatic control system (autopilot), a navigation system with inertial correction (GPS / GLONASS), an integrated digital telemetry system, navigation lights, a built-in three-axis magnetometer, a target retention and active tracking module ( "AC Module"), a digital built-in camera, a digital wideband video transmitter of C-OFDM modulation, a radio modem with a satellite navigation system (SNS) receiver "Diagonal AIR" with the ability to work without a SNS signal (radio range finder) a self-diagnostic system, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a current sensor, a propulsion system temperature sensor, a parachute release, an air cushion to protect the target load during landing, and a search transmitter.

This complex is designed for conducting aerial surveillance at any time of the day at a distance of up to 50 km with real-time video transmission. The unmanned aircraft successfully solves the tasks of ensuring the security and control of strategically important objects, allows you to determine the coordinates of the target and quickly make decisions on adjusting the actions of ground services. Thanks to the built-in AS Module, the UAV automatically monitors static and moving objects. In the absence of a SNS signal, the UAV will autonomously continue the task

Figure 1 – UAV ZALA 421-16E

UAV ZALA 421-08M

(Fig. 2.) Made according to the "flying wing" scheme - this is a tactical range unmanned aircraft with an autopilot, it has a similar set of functions and modules as ZALA 421-16E. This complex is designed for operational reconnaissance of the area at a distance of up to 15 km with real-time video transmission. UAV ZALA 421-08M compares favorably with ultra-reliability, ease of use, low acoustic, visual visibility and the best target loads in its class. This aircraft does not require a specially prepared runway due to the fact that the takeoff is made by means of an elastic catapult, it carries out aerial reconnaissance under various weather conditions at any time of the day.

Transportation of the complex with UAV ZALA 421-08M to the place of operation can be carried out by one person. The lightness of the device allows (with appropriate training) to launch "by hand", without using a catapult, which makes it indispensable in solving problems. The built-in AS Module allows the unmanned aircraft to automatically monitor static and moving objects, both on land and on water.

Figure 2 – UAV ZALA 421-08M

UAV ZALA 421-22

is an unmanned helicopter with eight rotors, medium range, with an integrated autopilot system (Fig. 3). The design of the apparatus is foldable, made of composite materials, which ensures the convenience of delivery of the complex to the place of operation by any vehicle. This device does not require a specially prepared runway due to vertical automatic launch and landing, which makes it indispensable for aerial reconnaissance in hard-to-reach areas.

ZALA 421-22 is successfully used to perform operations at any time of the day: to search and detect objects, to ensure the security of perimeters within a radius of up to 5 km. Thanks to the built-in “AS Module”, the device automatically monitors static and moving objects.

Phantom 3 Professional

It represents the next generation of DJI quadcopters. It is capable of recording 4K video and transmitting high definition video right out of the box. The camera is integrated into the gimbal for maximum stability and weight efficiency in a minimal footprint. In the absence of a GPS signal, the Visual Positioning technology ensures hovering accuracy.

Main functions

Camera and Gimbal: The Phantom 3 Professional shoots 4K video at up to 30 frames per second and captures 12 megapixel photos that look sharper and cleaner than ever. The improved camera sensor gives you greater clarity, lower noise, and better shots than any previous flying camera.

HD Video Link: Low latency, HD video transmission based on the DJI Lightbridge system.

DJI Intelligent Flight Battery: 4480 mAh The DJI Intelligent Flight Battery has new cells and uses an intelligent battery management system.

Flight Controller: Next-generation flight controller for more reliable performance. The new recorder saves the data of each flight, and visual positioning allows you to accurately hover at one point in the absence of GPS.

Figure 4 - Phantom 3 Professional UAV

UAV Inspire 1

The Inspire 1 is a new multi-rotor capable of recording 4K video and transmitting HD video (up to 2 km) to multiple devices right out of the box. Equipped with a retractable landing gear, the camera can rotate 360 degrees unhindered. The camera is integrated into the gimbal for maximum stability and weight efficiency in a minimal footprint. In the absence of a GPS signal, the Visual Positioning technology ensures hovering accuracy.

Main functions

Camera & Gimbal: Records up to 4K video and 12-megapixel photos. Neutral density (ND) filters are provided for better exposure control. The new gimbal mechanism allows you to quickly remove the camera.

HD Video Link: Low latency, HD video transmission, this is an upgraded version of the DJI Lightbridge system. There is also the possibility of control from two remote controls.

Chassis: Retractable landing gear, allow the camera to take panoramas unhindered.

DJI Intelligent Flight Battery: 4500mAh uses an intelligent battery management system.

Flight Controller: Next generation flight controller, provides more reliable performance. The new recorder saves the data of each flight, and visual positioning allows, in the absence of GPS, to accurately hover at one point.

Figure 5 - UAV Inspire 1

All characteristics of the UAVs listed above are presented in Table 1 (except for Phantom 3 Professional and Inspire 1 as indicated in the text)

Table 1. Characteristics of the UAV

UAV	ZALA 421-16E	ZALA 421-16EM	ZALA 421-08M	ZALA 421-08F	ZALA 421-16	ZALA 421-04M
UAV wingspan, mm	2815	1810	810	425	1680	1615
Flight duration, h (min)	>4	2,5	(80)	(80)	4-8	1,5
UAV length, mm	1020	900	425	–	–	635
Speed, km/h	65-110	65-110	65-130	65-120	130-200	65-100
Maximum flight altitude, m	3600	3600	3600	3000	3000	–
Target load mass, kg (g)	Up to 1.5	Up to 1	(300)	(300)	–	Up to 1

Lesson on solving problems, taking into account the capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles that are in service with the units of the subject of the Russian Federation.

– detection of emergencies;

- participation in the liquidation of emergency situations;

– assessment of damage from emergencies.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the interests of the Russian Emergencies Ministry is very relevant. Unmanned aerial vehicles are experiencing a real boom. In the airspace of various countries, unmanned aerial vehicles of various purposes, various aerodynamic schemes and with a variety of tactical specifications. The success of their application is associated, first of all, with the rapid development of microprocessor computing technology, control systems, navigation, information transmission, artificial intelligence. Achievements in this area make it possible to fly in automatic mode from takeoff to landing, to solve the problems of monitoring the earth's (water) surface, and for military unmanned aerial vehicles to provide reconnaissance, search, selection and destruction of targets in difficult conditions. Therefore, in most industrialized countries, both the aircraft themselves and the power plants for them are being developed on a wide front.

Currently, unmanned aerial vehicles are widely used by the Russian Medical Unit for managing crisis situations and obtaining operational information.

They are able to replace airplanes and helicopters in the course of missions associated with the risk to the lives of their crews and the possible loss of expensive manned aircraft. The first unmanned aerial vehicles were delivered to the EMERCOM of Russia in 2009. In the summer of 2010, unmanned aerial vehicles were used to monitor the fire situation in the Moscow region, in particular, in the Shatursky and Egoryevsky districts. In accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 11, 2010 No. 138 “On Approval of the Federal Rules for the Use of the Airspace of the Russian Federation”, an unmanned aerial vehicle is understood to be an aircraft that flies without a pilot (crew) on board and is automatically controlled in flight by an operator from the control point or a combination of these methods

The unmanned aerial vehicle is designed to solve the following tasks:

– unmanned remote monitoring of forest areas in order to detect forest fires;

– monitoring and transmission of data on radioactive and chemical contamination of terrain and airspace in a given area;

engineering reconnaissance of areas of floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters;

– detection and monitoring of ice jams and river floods;

– monitoring of the state of transport highways, oil and gas pipelines, power lines and other facilities;

– environmental monitoring water areas and coastline;

- determination of the exact coordinates of emergency areas and affected objects.

Monitoring is carried out day and night, in favorable and limited weather conditions.

Along with this, the unmanned aerial vehicle provides a search for the crashed (accident) technical means and missing groups of people. The search is carried out according to a pre-set flight task or along a flight route that is quickly changed by the operator. It is equipped with guidance systems, airborne radar systems, sensors and video cameras.

During the flight, as a rule, the control of an unmanned aerial vehicle is automatically carried out by means of an onboard navigation and control complex, which includes:

- a satellite navigation receiver that provides reception of navigation information from GLONASS and GPS systems;

- a system of inertial sensors that determines the orientation and motion parameters of an unmanned aerial vehicle;

- a system of sensors that provides measurement of altitude and airspeed;

– various types of antennas. The on-board communication system operates in the authorized radio frequency range and provides data transmission from board to ground and from ground to board.

Tasks for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles can be classified into four main groups:

– detection of emergencies;

- participation in the liquidation of emergency situations;

– search and rescue of victims;

– assessment of damage from emergencies.

The detection of an emergency is understood as a reliable establishment of the fact of an emergency, as well as the time and exact coordinates of the place of its observation. Aerial monitoring of territories using unmanned aerial vehicles is carried out on the basis of forecasts of an increased probability of an emergency or according to signals from other independent sources. This may be a flight over forest areas in fire hazardous weather conditions. Depending on the speed of the emergency, data is transmitted in real time or processed after the return of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The received data can be transmitted via communication channels (including satellite) to the headquarters of the search and rescue operation, the regional center of the EMERCOM of Russia or the central office of the EMERCOM of Russia. Unmanned aerial vehicles can be included in the forces and means to eliminate emergencies, and can also be extremely useful, and sometimes indispensable, when conducting search and rescue operations on land and at sea. Unmanned aerial vehicles are also used to assess damage from emergencies in cases where this must be done promptly and accurately, as well as without risk to the health and life of ground rescue teams. Thus, in 2013, unmanned aerial vehicles were used by employees of the Russian Emergencies Ministry to monitor the flood situation in the Khabarovsk Territory. With the help of data transmitted in real time, the state of protective structures was monitored to prevent dam breaks, as well as the search for people in flooded areas with subsequent adjustment of the actions of employees of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

Considering the experience of using unmanned aerial vehicles in the interests of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, the following generalizations can be made: - the economic feasibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles is due to ease of use, the possibility of takeoff and landing on any selected territory; - the operational headquarters receives reliable video and photo information, which allows you to effectively manage the forces and means of localization and liquidation of emergencies; - the possibility of transmitting video and photo information in real time to control points allows you to quickly influence a change in the situation and make the right management decision; – the possibility of manual and automatic use of unmanned aerial vehicles. In accordance with the Regulations "On the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters", the Russian Emergencies Ministry manages the Unified State System for the Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations at the federal level. The efficiency of such a system is largely determined by the level of its technical equipment and the correct organization of the interaction of all its constituent elements. To solve the problem of collecting and processing information in the field of civil defense, protecting the population and territories from emergencies, ensuring fire safety, the safety of people in water bodies, as well as exchanging this information, it is advisable to use complex space, air, ground or surface-based technical means. The time factor is extremely important when planning and carrying out measures to protect the population and territories from emergencies, as well as ensuring fire safety. From the timely receipt of information about emergencies by the leadership of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia different levels and the level of economic damage from emergencies and the number of affected citizens largely depend on the prompt response to what is happening. At the same time, in order to make appropriate operational management decisions, it is necessary to provide complete, objective and reliable information that is not distorted or modified due to subjective factors. Thus, the further introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles will significantly contribute to filling information gaps regarding the dynamics of the development of emergencies. An extremely important task is to detect the occurrence of emergencies. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles alone can be very effective for a slowly developing emergency or emergency in relative proximity to the deployed forces and means to eliminate it. At the same time, in combination with data obtained from other technical means of space, ground or surface-based, the real picture of upcoming events, as well as the nature and pace of their development, can be presented in detail. The technical equipment of the EMERCOM of Russia with promising robotic systems is an urgent and extremely important task. The development, production and implementation of such tools is a rather complex and capital-intensive process. However, government spending on such equipment will be covered by the economic effect of the prevention and elimination of emergencies using this equipment. Only from annual forest fires Russian Federation suffers huge economic losses. Thus, in order to modernize the technical base of the EMERCOM of Russia, a Program was developed to re-equip the units of the EMERCOM of Russia with modern models of machinery and equipment for 2011–2015. Analysis of the response of authorities and forces to federal emergencies associated with the passage of the summer-autumn flood of 2013 in the Far East federal district, emphasized the relevance of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the interests of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. In connection with this, it was decided to create a division of unmanned aerial vehicles. Along with this, there are a number of problems that need to be addressed before unmanned aircraft become widespread. Among them, one can single out the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into the air traffic system in such a way that they do not pose a threat of collisions with manned aircraft, both civil and military. When conducting specific rescue operations, the forces of the Russian Emergencies Ministry have the right to use their technical means to carry out the necessary work. In this regard, there are currently no strict regulatory restrictions, and even more so, prohibitions on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the interests of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. However, regulatory issues legal regulation The development, production and use of unmanned aerial vehicles for civil use as a whole have not yet been resolved.

– the first turning point of the route (the starting point of the route (IPM) is set near the starting point.

- depth working area must be within the limits of stable reception of the video signal and telemetric information from the UAV. (Depth of working area

– distance from the location of the NSS antenna to the most remote turning point. Working area - the territory within which the UAV performs a given flight program.).

– The track line, if possible, should not pass near power lines (power lines) high power and other objects with a high level of electromagnetic radiation (radar stations, transceiver antennas, etc.).

— The estimated flight duration time must not exceed 2/3 of the maximum duration declared by the manufacturer.

- It is necessary to provide at least 10 minutes of flight time for take-off and landing. For a general inspection of the territory, the most appropriate is a circular closed route. The main advantages of this method are the coverage of a large area, the efficiency and speed of monitoring, the possibility of surveying hard-to-reach areas of the terrain, relatively simple planning of a flight task, and prompt processing of the results obtained. The flight route must provide an inspection of the entire working area.

For the rational use of UAV energy resources, it is advisable to lay the flight route in such a way that the first half of the UAV flight takes place against the wind.

Figure 1 - Building a flight route, taking into account the wind.

For a detailed inspection of individual sections of the terrain within the working area, rectilinear mutually parallel routes are used.

Figure 2 - Building a flight of a straight parallel route.

The parallel route is recommended for use in aerial photography of terrain. When preparing a route, the operator must take into account the maximum width of the field of view of the UAV camera at a given altitude of its flight. The route is laid so that the edges of the camera's field of view overlap neighboring fields by about 15% -20%.

Figure 3 - Parallel route.

Flight over a given object is used when conducting inspections of specific objects. It is widely used in cases where the coordinates of an object are known and its state needs to be clarified.

Figure 4 - Flyby of a given object

During the inspection of active forest fires, the operator determines the main direction of the spread of fire, the presence of a threat of fire spread to economic facilities and settlements, the presence of separate combustion centers, areas that are especially dangerous in terms of fire, the place where the fire passes through the mineralized strips, and, if possible, identifies the location of people and equipment employed in extinguishing a fire in order to determine the correctness of their placement on the edge of the fire. Simultaneously with the receipt of video information, representatives of the forestry service make decisions on tactical methods of extinguishing, maneuvering human and technical resources. Natural boundaries are outlined to stop the fire, access roads (approaches) to the fire, a section of the edge (roads, trails, lakes, streams, rivers, bridges).

UAV application example

In April 2011, three HE300 unmanned helicopters were used to visually monitor the stricken nuclear plant in Fukushima. These UAVs are equipped with a professional video camera, a thermal imaging camera, various sensors for measuring and shooting, and a tank for spraying various liquids. The results of video filming from the UAV are shown in Figure 5.6.

Figure 5.6 - Japanese nuclear power plant after an accident with a UAV.

In February 2014, ZALA UAVs allowed the EMERCOM teams in the Kirov region to control the situation during a fire at a railway station (a train with gas condensate went off the rails and caught fire), competently concentrate forces for the safe evacuation of residents and liquidation of the consequences of the incident. Aerial monitoring of the emergency zone was carried out in the daytime and at night, completely eliminating the risk to the life of the population and the emergency rescue team. Photos from the place. crashes filmed by the UAV are shown in Figure 7.

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Abstract: in the last ten years, unmanned aerial vehicles have gained immense popularity, especially in the most developed countries of the world. The scope of drones is quite wide.

This article analyzes the scope of drones with their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the prospects for the development of this area in Russia and especially in the Ulyanovsk region.

Key words: unmanned aerial vehicle, drone, drone, scope. An unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft without a crew on board. UAVs can have varying degrees of autonomy - from remotely controlled to fully automatic, and also differ in design, purpose and many other parameters.

In the last ten years, unmanned aerial vehicles have gained immense popularity, especially in the most developed countries of the world.

The scope of drones is quite wide. They can monitor the traffic situation, both urban and in remote areas, control the fire situation in forests or flood waters in the regions, and much more. On duty, the drones transmit footage to a laptop, which can be used to control the drone.

We present to your attention the areas of application of UAVs:

1) Spectrozonal survey

A type of photography, during which the simultaneous acquisition of photographic images of an object in different parts (zones) of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves takes place. For example, in agriculture, the use of UAVs makes it possible to obtain a terrain model with a resolution of up to 3 cm. Images are obtained in the visible and infrared ranges. Such a survey gives a comprehensive picture of the state of the soil, and the detail allows you to control crops with an accuracy of 5 cm. A wide range of data obtained allows you to evaluate field problems by seedlings and identify the causes of a wide variety of problems

2) Aerial photography of the area

This is a set of works that includes various processes from photographing the earth's surface from a flying aircraft to obtaining aerial photographs, photographic schemes or photographic plans of the area taken. All aerial photographic materials are used to solve a number of issues in the field of forestry and the forest industry.

In plan shooting, the camera is directed vertically down, at right angles to the ground. In the pictures we see a flat picture (orthogonal projection), reminiscent of an image on geographical maps.

In perspective (overview) shooting, the camera is directed at an angle to the horizon. With perspective aerial photography in the pictures we see a three-dimensional picture (axonometric projection): not only the roofs of structures, but also the side surfaces (walls).

Thus, we can judge not only the mutual arrangement of objects on the plane, but also their shape. 3) Accounting for animals from the air with the help of UAVs With a significant reduction in the funds spent on attracting manned aircraft, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for recording animals has become profitable.

Such an "air count" allows you to accurately determine the number of animals in the hunting area and identify the places of their concentration. 4) Remote monitoring of the condition of oil and gas pipelines To date, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles is the most effective and cost-effective method of inspecting oil and gas pipelines.

High-quality images are obtained in real time, which allow detecting oil spills, identifying acts of unauthorized activity (landfills, tie-ins, work in protected areas, etc.).

Aerial photographs obtained from the UAV board allow analyzing and evaluating the technical condition of pipelines and the near-pipe space.

5) Aerial and space survey of the terrain It is used both for continuous simultaneous monitoring of pollution of the natural environment (the earth's surface, water areas and the surface atmosphere), and for monitoring technical condition objects throughout the thousand-kilometer water and land oil and gas routes.

In addition, remote monitoring data makes it possible to quickly identify and accurately determine the coordinates of zones of dangerous manifestation of natural processes that can lead to accidents, as well as to track and predict slow unidirectional geodynamic deformations of the earth's surface that are fraught with ruptures of main pipelines.

Among the main tasks solved with the help of aerial and space photography, the following can be distinguished: identification of violations of the technical condition of the object: gaps, cracks, corrosion zones, damage to hydro- and thermal insulation, etc.;  drawing up maps of soils, flood zones, flooded areas, areas of salinization, freezing and thawing soils, etc.;  study of modern exogenous processes (mudflows, landslides, landslides, etc.).

6) Aerial photography and geodesy

Provides aerial photography materials that can be used in the following areas of activity:  maintenance of the state real estate cadastre and control of urban planning activities in settlements;  emergency response;  control of snow and ice cover, ice cover, forecast of river runoff and monitoring of river floods;  update topographic maps;  monitoring various types objects;  monitoring of the state of agricultural land, including the intended use of land, operational assessment of the state and degree of land degradation, yield forecast;  Creation of geographic information systems.

7) Monitoring and identification of moving objects

Monitoring is carried out in protected areas during the day and at night.

Monitoring forest resources

It includes an assessment of the degree of deforestation, identification of tree species, prevention of forest fires (dried forest, smoldering peat bogs, detection of small fires), assessment of damage to forest resources after fires or natural disasters, detection of unauthorized dumps, with the identification of violators' faces and car numbers. Drones with infrared sensors are used to detect forest fires at an early stage.

9) Monitoring of repair and construction works

It speeds up and reduces the cost of work many times over compared to traditional methods. It allows you to assess the degree of readiness of the object; identify and analyze damage, accidents; plan repairs; predict and model natural impacts.

10) Unmanned security

Increases the level of security by controlling objects and people in certain areas. Most of the time the security guard spends on patrolling the territory of the enterprise, and the drone does it much faster and better.

There are many examples of this: to avoid unauthorized intrusions, drones patrol oil and gas pipelines, mineral deposits, power lines from the removal of insulators, cities and intercity highways during large-scale events. In order to ensure the safety of facilities, drones guard the Baikonur Cosmodrome and the FIFA 2018 facilities under construction for the World Cup.

11) Unmanned border guards

They observe the border with the help of infrared and conventional video cameras from a height of up to 6 km with an overview of 50 km. The image from the video camera is so detailed that from a height you can see what is behind the shoulders of the violators.

12) Police SWAT

These are unmanned microdrones that can be launched directly from the hands. They fly at an altitude of up to 75 m, their electric motor is practically inaudible from the ground and is able to keep the device in the air for more than an hour.

Such drones are the forerunners of the development of a branch of subminiature devices - so tiny that the very concept of an aircraft in relation to them will require some clarification. Drones weighing only 10 grams have now been developed. 13) UAV for delivering goods to customers The UAV delivery system has been launched in test mode in the American online store Amazon, as well as in the Swiss postal service. These drones are capable of carrying loads of up to 1 kg over a distance of more than 10 km without recharging the battery. Also, projects began to work on round-the-clock delivery of medicines, groceries, as well as on the return of goods that did not fit.

14) Help in Emergencies

Drone to find missing children - like dogs, can track the smell of a child. Drones with temperature sensors are being used to search for people littered with an avalanche.

15) Waiter Drones

Eateries have sprung up in Europe and Asia that have become famous for using drones to deliver orders to tables: a flat-top quadcopter controlled by a waiter with an iPad can bring food and drinks to customers at a speed of 40 km/h. But what is done in the UK for the sake of attracting attention is a severe necessity in Singapore.

There are a lot of restaurants here, and the staff for them is becoming a scarce workforce, so local restaurateurs are hard at work experimenting with technologies that could solve the problem - from rice frying machines to mini trains for delivering orders. Drones were a logical next step, and since February of this year, the Timbre restaurant chain has introduced them to the staff: diners order using a tablet computer mounted on the table, and food and drinks arrive from the kitchen on a quadcopter.

16) Internet Sharing Drone

Two giants of the IT industry, Google and Facebook, almost simultaneously announced their plans to create a network of satellites and drones that form Internet coverage over the entire surface of the earth.

17) Beach lifeguard

A drone is a great analogue of a lifeguard sitting on a tower. This was proved in Australia: the local service successfully tested a multicopter configured to monitor the coastal zone. The device not only can warn bathers about the approach of sharks - if necessary, it is able to throw a life buoy to a drowning person. After analyzing all of the above, we can conclude that in the very near future, unmanned aircraft will take the first and most important place compared to manned aircraft.

This can be explained by the fact that the use of drones does not require human resources, and therefore no one endangers their lives, and also by the fact that drones have a very wide range of applications in the defense industry, security, healthcare, entertainment and many other areas. The Ulyanovsk region may well become a pioneer in the creation of drones, using all the competencies developed by the region.

Communications and communications, remote sensing of the earth and monitoring, search and rescue of people, agriculture and transportation are considered as priority segments of this market.

Unmanned aircraft systems in these niches are in demand and have good prospects. As reported on the official resource of the regional government, plans have already been outlined to create a structure in the region that will create the latest aircraft and integrate the capabilities that the nanocenter and the largest industrial complex in Russia, Aviastar-SP, have. In the Ulyanovsk region, it is planned to develop a "Road Map", which will prescribe the scope of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Thus, we can say that unmanned vehicles (both flying and non-flying) are the future.

References 1. Unmanned aerial vehicles / Reference manual. Voronezh, Publishing House Polygraphic Center "Scientific Book", 2015. 616 p. pp. 43-56. 2. Vasilin N.Ya. Unmanned aerial vehicles // N.Ya. Vasilin. Minsk. Potpourri, 2017. 272 p. C. 5-7, 98-105. ISBN: 9854389839. 3. Bodrova A.S., Bezdenezhnykh S.I. // Prospects for the development and use of complexes with unmanned aerial vehicles: conf. Kolomna, 2016. 274 p. pp. 106-113. 4. Boyko A. // Areas of application of drones. [Electronic resource]. Access mode: http://robotrends.ru/robopedia/oblasti-primeneniya-bespilotniko/ (date of access: 10/25/2017).

Fedoseeva N.A. , Zagvozkin M.V.

Nowadays, many developing countries allocate a lot of money from the budget for the improvement and development of new types of UAVs - unmanned aerial vehicles. In the theater of operations, it was not uncommon for cases when, when solving a combat or training task, the command preferred a digital machine rather than a pilot. And there were a number of good reasons for this. First, it is the continuity of work. Drones are able to perform a task for up to 24 hours without a break for rest and sleep - integral elements of human needs. Secondly, it's endurance.

The drone works almost uninterruptedly, in conditions of high overloads, and where human body simply unable to withstand 9G overload, the drone can continue to work. Well, and thirdly, this is the absence of a human factor and the performance of the task according to the program embedded in the computer complex. Only the operator who enters information to complete the mission can make a mistake - robots do not make mistakes.

History of UAV development

Man has long been visited by the idea of creating such a machine, which could, without harm to oneself, be controlled from a distance. 30 years after the first flight of the Wright brothers, this idea became a reality, and in 1933 a special remote-controlled aircraft was built in the UK.

The first drone to take part in the battles was . It was a radio-controlled rocket with a jet engine. It was equipped with an autopilot, into which the German operators entered information about the upcoming flight. During the years of the Second World War, this missile successfully completed about 20,000 sorties, inflicting air strikes on important strategic and civilian targets in Great Britain.

After the end of World War II, the United States and Soviet Union in the course of growing mutual claims to each other, which became a springboard for the start of the cold war, they began to allocate huge money from the budget for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.

So, during the conduct of hostilities in Vietnam, both sides actively used UAVs to solve various combat missions. Radio-controlled vehicles took aerial photographs, carried out radar reconnaissance and were used as repeaters.

In 1978, there was a real breakthrough in the history of the development of drones. IAI Scout was introduced by Israeli military representatives and became the first combat UAV in history.

And in 1982, during the war in Libya, this drone almost completely destroyed the Syrian air defense system. During the conduct of those hostilities, the Syrian army lost 19 anti-aircraft batteries and 85 aircraft were destroyed.

After these events, the Americans began to pay maximum attention to the development of drones, and in the 90s they became world leaders in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Drones were actively used in 1991 during the "Desert Storm", as well as during military operations in Yugoslavia in 1999. Now the US Army is armed with about 8.5 thousand radio-controlled drones, and these are mainly small-sized UAVs for reconnaissance missions in the interests of the ground forces.

Design features

Since the invention of the target drone by the British, science has taken a huge step forward in the development of remote-controlled flying robots. Modern drones have a large range and flight speed.

This is mainly due to the rigid fixation of the wing, the power of the engine built into the robot and the fuel used, of course. There are also battery-powered drones, but they are not able to compete in range with fuel-powered ones, at least not yet.

Gliders and convertiplanes were widely used in reconnaissance operations. The first ones are quite simple to manufacture and do not require large financial investments, and in some samples the design does not provide for an engine.

A distinctive feature of the second is that its takeoff is based on helicopter thrust, while when maneuvering in the air, these drones use aircraft wings.

Tailsiggers are robots that developers have endowed with the ability to change flight profiles while directly in the air. This happens due to the rotation of either the entire or part of the structure in a vertical plane. There are also wired drones and drone piloting is carried out by transmitting control commands to its board through a connected cable.

There are drones that differ from the rest in a set of their non-standard functions or functions performed in an unusual style. These are exotic UAVs, and some of them can easily land on the water or gain a foothold on a vertical surface like a sticky fish.

UAVs based on a helicopter design also differ from each other in their functions and tasks. There are devices with both one screw and several - such drones are called quadrocopters, and they are used mainly for “civilian” purposes.

They have 2, 4, 6 or 8 screws, in pairs and symmetrically located from the longitudinal axis of the robot, and the more of them, the better the UAV is stable in the air, and it is much better controlled.

What are drones

In unmanned UAVs, a person takes part only when launching and entering flight parameters before taking off the drone. As a rule, these are low-cost drones that do not require special operator training and special landing sites for their operation.

Remotely controlled drones provide for their flight path correction, and automatic robots perform the task completely autonomously. The success of the mission here depends on the accuracy and correctness of the introduction of pre-flight parameters by the operator into a stationary computer complex located on the ground.

The weight of micro devices is no more than 10 kg, and they can stay in the air for no more than an hour, the drones of the mini group weigh up to 50 kg, and are able to perform the task for 3 ... work is 15 hours. As for heavy UAVs that weigh more than a ton, these drones can fly continuously for more than 24 hours, and some of them are capable of intercontinental flights.

Foreign drones

One of the directions in the development of UAVs is to reduce their dimensions without significant damage to the technical characteristics. The Norwegian company Prox Dynamics has developed a helicopter-type micro drone PD-100 Black Hornet.

This drone can operate for about a quarter of an hour at a distance of up to 1 km. This robot is used as an individual reconnaissance means of a soldier and is equipped with three video cameras. Used by some regular US units in Afghanistan since 2012.

The most common U.S. Army drone is the RKyu-11 Raven. It is launched from the hand of a soldier and does not require a special platform for its landing, it can fly both in automatic mode and under the control of an operator.

This light drone is used by US soldiers to solve short-range reconnaissance tasks at the company level.

Heavier UAVs of the American army are RKyu-7 Shadow and RKyu-5 Hunter. Both samples are intended for the production of reconnaissance at the brigade level.

The uninterrupted operating time in the air of these drones differs significantly from lighter samples. There are multiple modifications of them, some of which include the function of hanging small guided bombs weighing up to 5.4 kg on them.

MKyu-1 Predator is the most famous American drone. Initially, its main task, like many other samples, was reconnaissance. But soon, in 2000, manufacturers made a number of modifications to its design, allowing it to perform combat missions related to the direct destruction of targets.

In addition to suspended missiles (Hellfire-S, created specifically for this drone in 2001), three video cameras, an infrared system and its own airborne radar station are installed on board the robot. Now there are several modifications of the MKyu-1 Predator to perform tasks of a very different nature.

In 2007, another strike UAV appeared - the American MKyu-9 Reaper. Compared to the MKyu-1 Predator, its flight duration was much higher, and in addition to missiles, it could carry guided bombs on board and had more modern radio electronics.

Type of UAV	MKyu-1 Predator	MKyu-9 Reaper
Length, m	8.5	11
Speed, km/h	up to 215	up to 400
Weight, kg	1030	4800
Wingspan, m	15	20
Flight range, km	750	5900
Power plant, engine	piston	turboprop
Working time, h	up to 40	16-28
up to 4 Hellfire-S missiles	bombs up to 1700 kg
Practical ceiling, km	7.9	15

The largest UAV in the world is considered to be the RKyu-4 Global Hawk. In 1998, he took to the air for the first time and to this day performs reconnaissance missions.

This drone is the first robot in history that can use the airspace and air corridors of the United States without the permission of the air traffic control authority.

Domestic UAVs

Russian drones are conditionally divided into the following categories

The Eleon-ZSV UAV belongs to the short-range devices, it is quite simple to operate and easy to carry in a shoulder bag. The drone is launched manually with a tourniquet or compressed air from a pump.

Capable of conducting reconnaissance and transmitting information via a digital video channel at a distance of up to 25 km. Eleon-10V is similar in design and operation rules to the previous device. Their main difference is the increase in flight range up to 50 km.

The landing process of these UAVs is carried out with the help of special parachutes, which are thrown out when the drone develops its battery charge.

Reis-D (Tu-243) is a reconnaissance and strike drone capable of carrying aircraft weapons weighing up to 1 ton. design bureau named after Tupolev, made its first flight in 1987.

Since then, the drone has undergone numerous improvements, including an improved flight and navigation system, new radar reconnaissance devices, and a competitive optical system.

Irkut-200 is more of an attack drone. And in it, first of all, the high autonomy of the device and the small mass are appreciated, thanks to which flights lasting up to 12 hours can be carried out. The UAV lands on a specially equipped platform with a length of about 250 m.

Type of UAV	Flight-D (Tu-243)	Irkut-200
Length, m	8.3	4.5
Weight, kg	1400	200
Power point	turbojet engine	ICE with a capacity of 60 liters. With.
Speed, km/h	940	210
Flight range, km	360	200
Working time, h	8	12
Practical ceiling, km	5	5

Skat is a new generation heavy long-range UAV developed by MiG Design Bureau. This drone will be invisible to enemy radars, thanks to the hull assembly scheme, which excludes the tail.

The task of this drone is to deliver accurate missile and bomb strikes against ground targets, such as anti-aircraft batteries of the air defense forces or stationary command posts. As conceived by the developers of the UAV, the Skat will be able to perform tasks both autonomously and as part of an aircraft flight.

Length, m	10,25
Speed, km/h	900
Weight, t	10
Wingspan, m	11,5
Flight range, km	4000
Power point	Double-circuit turbojet engine
Working time, h	36
Adjustable bombs 250 and 500 kg.
Practical ceiling, km	12

Disadvantages of unmanned aerial vehicles

One of the drawbacks of the UAV is the difficulty in piloting it. So, an ordinary private who has not completed a course of special training and does not know certain subtleties when using the operator's computer complex cannot approach the control panel.

Another significant drawback is the difficulty of searching for drones after they land with the help of parachutes. Because some models, when the battery charge is close to critical, may give incorrect data about their location.

To this we can add the sensitivity of some models to the wind, due to the ease of construction.

Some drones can fly to high altitudes, and in some cases, occupying the height of one or another drone requires permission from the air traffic control authority, which can significantly complicate the task by a certain date, because priority in the airspace is given to ships under the control of the pilot, and not operator.

The use of UAVs for civilian purposes

Drones have found their calling not only on the battlefields or in the course of military operations. Now drones are actively used for quite peaceful purposes of citizens in urban environments, and even in some branches of agriculture they have found application.

So some courier services use helicopter-powered robots to deliver a wide variety of goods to their customers. With the help of drones, aerial photography is carried out by many photographers when organizing special events.

And also they were adopted by some detective agencies.

Conclusion

Unmanned aerial vehicles are a significant new word in the age of rapidly developing technologies. Robots keep up with the times, cover not only one direction, but develop in several at once.

But still, despite the models that are still far from ideal, by human standards, in the field of errors or flight ranges, UAVs have one huge and undeniable plus. Drones have saved hundreds of human lives during their use, and this is worth a lot.

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SCIENCE AND MILITARY SECURITY No. 2/2008, pp. 38-40

Yu.N. CHAKHOVSKY ,

General Director of the Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant

B.S. KOVYAZIN ,

Senior Researcher

Research Institute of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus

The rapid development of information technologies in the leading countries of the world inevitably led to a rethinking of the concepts of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ways of their further development, improvement of the payload and giving them a multi-purpose character. UAVs occupy a worthy place in the production programs of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers. Based on the tasks of ensuring national security, the Republic of Belarus should accelerate the international level of development and production of multifunctional UAVs.

The effectiveness of methods of conducting combat operations is determined by the indicators of the quality of means of destruction, reconnaissance, communications and automated control systems (ACS). The absence of modern reconnaissance and control systems does not fully realize the potential capabilities of weapons. The capabilities of the currently existing ground-based means of radar and optoelectronic reconnaissance are limited by the line-of-sight range and do not provide detection of enemy targets and objects located behind natural shelters. The use of UAVs for military purposes has become one of the important directions in the development of modern aviation and makes it possible to automate command and control of troops, reduce the loss of personnel in battle due to operational intelligence information about the current situation. In this regard, the task of creating mobile, easy-to-operate and cheap means of conducting aerial reconnaissance is topical.

The main advantages of using UAVs for military purposes:

no loss of flight personnel;

no need to allocate forces and means for search and rescue;

low cost of the UAV;

low costs for UAV maintenance and calculation preparation;

the ability to perform maneuvers with high overloads;

small size and effective reflective surface;

the ability to use weapons from short distances;

the possibility of remote piloting in shifts by several operators.

The use of UAVs for military purposes.

UAVs have been used in the military for over 30 years. For example, Israel used UAVs in 1973 for reconnaissance and as false air targets.

Currently, the United States has developed, tested and put into service reconnaissance UAVs for various purposes, including: "Hunter", "Predator", "Global Hawk".

In the UK, an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft "Phoenix" is being developed, designed to detect and automatically track targets.

In the war in Iraq, unmanned vehicles began to be used in mass quantities. They were used not only for reconnaissance purposes, but periodically attacked the positions of Iraqi troops with Hellfire missiles. UAV "Predator", flying at a speed of 120 km / h at an altitude of 3 to 4.5 km above the battlefield for 24 hours, transmitted to the ground a clear "picture" of any part of the territory over which it was located. The image was transmitted in real time to computer monitors, which were equipped with field command posts.

To date, three tactical UAV complexes have been created in Russia:

the Stroy-P complex with the Pchela-1 UAV (developed in 1990, placed on an amphibious armored personnel carrier, the launch of the carrier occurs due to two powder boosters, the weight of the UAV is 140 kg);

civil aerodynamic observer television "GRANT" (developed in 2001; placed on two UAZ vehicles, the launch of the carrier occurs due to the energy of the lowering load, the weight of the UAV is 20 kg);

Fig.1. UAV classification

short-range reconnaissance aerodynamic television "BRAT" (developed in 2003; for ranges up to 10 km - portable; for ranges of 50 - 90 km - the control point is similar to the control point of the Grant complex, weight - 2.8 kg).

providing radar detection of camouflaged objects and their automatic recognition;

ensuring purposeful access of consumers to the results of aerial reconnaissance;

increase in patrol time and UAV flight range;

development of micro-aircraft;

development of combat (strike) UAVs.

Development of UAV complexes at the State Enterprise "Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant".

The effectiveness of monitoring the air and ground situation is largely determined by the flight performance of the UAV, the level of equipment electronic equipment, reliability of launch, communication and control systems, autonomy and speed of maintenance of the UAV.

Taking into account these requirements, the State Enterprise "Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant" is developing a mobile aviation reconnaissance complex "FILIN", which includes the universal operational-tactical UAV "Turman". The versatility of this product is due to the modular design of the device, which allows the use of on-board equipment of various weight and size characteristics and purpose, ensures the secrecy of deployment, and ease of operation of the device.

The FILIN complex is designed to perform tasks of operational-tactical reconnaissance by technical means, has great autonomy and mobility. The number of UAVs that are part of the complex allows for constant reconnaissance or target designation in the target area.

patrolling the area at any time of the day and under any meteorological conditions;

detection and identification of objects;

destruction of detected objects that pose a threat;

suppression of air defense systems.

Monitoring of the air and ground situation of the UAV is associated with viewing a certain area of the terrain and obtaining images on film, magnetic tape or disk. In the process of flying in a given area, the UAV can transmit intelligence information via a radio channel in real time (or close to real time) to the module of the communication, control and information processing system. The UAV operator evaluates the incoming information and controls the UAV itself and its target load, such as a television camera, via a command radio channel, in order to best observe stationary or moving objects, determine their type and coordinates.

The tactics of the complex "FILIN":

takeoff from the place of deployment and flight to the patrol area;

search for objects and observation of the area;

detection of objects and determination of their coordinates;

identification of objects of observation;

transfer of information to the UAV operator;

returning to the place of deployment or continuing the search for new objects.

The UAV operator works according to the following algorithm:

object search;

object detection;

object recognition;

measurement of object coordinates;

prompt delivery of information to the consumer.

The operator controls the movement of the UAV along the route where the presence of objects of interest to the operator is expected, and observes the image of the underlying surface. Having noticed a suspicious point, the operator performs control actions (pointing the UAV at the object, narrowing the field of view of the television camera, switching to a television camera with a narrower field of view, etc.) in order to better examine it. When the image of a suspicious object becomes large enough, the operator decides to detect it, that is, he makes sure that the suspicious point is not just a heterogeneity of the terrain, but is included in the set of objects of interest to him.

Further, the UAV operator continues to examine the detected object, determines its type (“command post”, “radar station”, “tank”, etc.) and measures the coordinates of the selected object, for example, by aligning the crosshairs on the screen with the image of the object and feeding into Computer commands to calculate coordinates. Based on the results of working with the object, the UAV operator generates a report on the object containing its type and coordinates, and promptly brings the information to the consumer. Having completed work with the first object, the operator controls the UAV flight according to the planned program in order to further monitor the battlefield.

The main tasks solved by the UAV operator:

development of a decision to perform actions to search for objects based on the results of the analysis of events and the level of available UAV capabilities;

ensuring stable control of the UAV movement along the route, on which the presence of objects of interest to the operator is expected;

reception, processing and analysis of the reliability of information received via the radio channel from the UAV;

detection, recognition and determination of the coordinates of the selected object;

use of the technical capabilities of on-board devices and UAV systems;

control of the use of resources of the UAV onboard power supply system;

using the principle of selecting an object according to its importance and priority;

prompt delivery of the information received to the consumer.

After completing the flight task, the UAV goes to the launch point, where the operator of the FILIN complex puts the UAV into the visual landing mode using remote control equipment. Landing can be carried out, depending on the landing conditions, using a parachute or by plane, on a landing fuselage ski. The design feature of the landing system ensures the safety of UAV parts from damage during landing.

After checking the on-board equipment, packing the parachute and refueling, the UAV is ready for launch again. During the preparation for the launch of UAV No. 1, UAV No. 2 can be launched, which makes it possible to increase the time spent in the target area (i.e., ensure continuous tracking of the target).

Since the airframe of the UAV is made of separate modules, this makes it possible to replace parts damaged during landing or as a result of fire during the mission. In addition, having a basic module (fuselage and center section), it is possible to change the geometric dimensions and aerodynamic configuration of the UAV (normal, "tailless", "duck") in production with the least loss in time and cost.

To prepare the calculations of the "FILIN" complex, it is necessary to conduct courses on teaching calculations. These tasks at a high methodological level are ready to be performed by highly qualified specialists of the Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant. At present, the plant is working on the development of a training system for the preparation of calculations of the FILIN complex, which makes it possible to assess the level of training of UAV control operators in various conditions combat work.

In order to further develop unmanned aerial vehicles and the complexes created on their basis, the FILIN complex with the Turman UAV developed at the State Enterprise "Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant" can become the basis of unmanned aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. The enterprise has the capacity to produce a whole series of UAVs and complexes of various characteristics, created on the basis of the basic model of a modular design, designed to perform various flight tasks. This will create technological flexibility in the production of new UAV modifications and reduce the final cost of products.

An important place in the development of UAVs is occupied by cooperation with research institutes and enterprises of the defense industry of the Republic of Belarus. Only cooperation of production and scientific and technical potential in order to create unmanned aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus can give a positive result. The Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant enterprise develops and creates UAVs, a launch and transportation system, and defense industry enterprises develop on-board equipment - small-sized systems for long-range remote visual control and surveillance, a navigation system, as well as warheads and special equipment. We cannot rule out cooperation with Russian enterprises with rich experience in such developments.

The need to equip the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus with a cheap tactical unmanned reconnaissance system is long overdue. In the interests of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, the Turman UAV of the FILIN complex can be used as guided targets for training crews of fighter pilots and air defense systems, conducting reconnaissance, jamming, monitoring the results of fire strikes by aviation, missile forces and artillery, monitoring the situation on the battlefield in the tactical, operational-tactical and operational defense zones. In the interests of the border department - to solve the tasks of protecting the State Border; in the interests of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - to ensure the fulfillment of tasks for the protection of public order, compliance with traffic rules and the solution of other tasks, incl. to prevent terrorist acts; in the interests of the Ministry of Emergency Situations - to collect data on the situation, the extent and damage caused in case of emergencies, to identify sources of fires, destruction, flooding and infection.

The State Enterprise "Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant" also developed the airfield launch UAV "Sterkh" (Fig. 2).

Promising areas for the development of UAVs are:

Automatic recognition can be solved by traditional statistical recognition procedures, as well as by "intelligent" algorithms capable of learning, for example, based on neural network technologies. Currently, the tasks of creating noise-proof and fault-free radio communication with a high degree of compression of the transmitted information are also topical.

Combat missions solved by the FILIN complex:

UAV "Sterkh" is made according to the normal aerodynamic configuration with a straight wing and an influx in the root part. The wing has ailerons, flaperons and simple flaps. The tail unit is made according to a two-keel, two-beam scheme with a T-shaped stabilizer. The landing gear is made according to a three-point scheme with a nose wheel, takeoff and landing in an airplane way.

A 19 hp gasoline piston engine is installed in the rear fuselage. with a volume of 200 cm3 of the German production of the company 3W with a pusher three-blade propeller manufactured by the State Enterprise "Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant".

Flight performance characteristics of the Sterkh UAV:

wingspan -3.8 m;

fuselage length - 3 m;

takeoff weight - 53 kg;

target load weight - up to 30 kg;

maximum speed - up to 200 km / h;

cruising speed - 130 km / h;

flight duration - up to 3 hours;

flight range - 300 km.

Comparative characteristics of the flight performance parameters of the UAV "Sterkh", RQ-7 "Shadow" (USA), "Pchela" (Russia) are presented in Table 1.

Thus, an increase in the effectiveness of reconnaissance means can be achieved by using UAVs that are capable of solving a sufficient number of combat missions. The main efforts in the development of UAVs should be focused on the creation of mass-produced, cheap and multifunctional vehicles with modern navigation equipment and control systems, which is quite within the power of the State Enterprise "Minsk Aircraft Repair Plant".

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In the view of most non-aviation people, unmanned aerial vehicles are somewhat complicated versions of radio-controlled models of aircraft. In a sense, it is. However, the functions of these devices Lately have become so diverse that it is no longer possible to limit ourselves to this view of them.

The beginning of the unmanned era

If we talk about automatic flying and remotely controlled space systems, then this topic is not new. Another thing is that in the last decade a certain fashion has arisen for them. At its core, the Soviet shuttle Buran, which made a space flight without a crew and landed safely in the now distant 1988, is also a drone. Photos of the surface of Venus and many scientific data on this planet (1965) were also obtained in automatic and telemetric modes. And lunar rovers are quite consistent with the idea of unmanned vehicles. And many other achievements of Soviet science in the space sphere. Where did this fashion come from? Apparently, it was the result of experience in the combat use of such equipment, and he was rich.

And how to use it?

Managing unmanned aerial vehicles is the same specialty as an ordinary one. An expensive and complex car can easily be smashed to the ground, making an inept landing. It can be lost as a result of an unsuccessful maneuver or shelling by the enemy. Like a regular plane or helicopter, you need to try to save the drone and take it out of the danger zone. The risk, of course, is not the same as in the case of a "live" crew, but you should not scatter expensive equipment either. Today, in most countries, instructor and training work is carried out by experienced pilots who have mastered the control of UAVs. They are usually not professional educators and computer scientists, so this approach is unlikely to last for long. The requirements for a “virtual pilot” are different from those that apply to a future cadet upon admission to a flight school. It can be assumed that the competition among applicants for the specialty "UAV operator" will be considerable.

Bitter Ukrainian experience

Without going into the political background of the armed conflict in the eastern regions of Ukraine, one can note the extremely unsuccessful attempts to conduct aerial reconnaissance by An-30 and An-26 aircraft. If the first of them was developed specifically for aerial photography (mainly peaceful), then the second is an exclusively transport modification of the passenger An-24. Both planes were shot down by militia fire. But what about the drones of Ukraine? Why were they not used to obtain information about the deployment of rebel forces? The answer is simple. There is none of them.

Against the backdrop of a permanent financial crisis in the country, the funds necessary to create modern types of weapons were not found. UAVs of Ukraine are at the stage of draft designs or the simplest home-made devices. Some of them are assembled from radio-controlled aircraft models purchased at the Pilotage store. The militias do the same. Not so long ago, an alleged downed Russian drone was shown on Ukrainian television. The photo, which shows a small and not the most expensive model (without any damage) with a homemade video camera attached, can hardly serve as an illustration of the aggressive military power of the “northern neighbor”.