Russian Sirius & Orion Drones Team up with Manned Aircraft

Russia has tested Sirius and Orion drones as part of a reconnaissance/strike system operating jointly with piloted aircraft.

"Our Sirius and Orion UAVs are capable of operating as part of a reconnaissance/strike system together with piloted aircraft. The tests have already been held," the press office of the Kronshtadt tech firm told TASS at the Army 2022 international military-technical forum on Friday.

The capability to interact with piloted aircraft implies joint reconnaissance/strike operations where a drone ferrets out and strikes uncovered ground and naval targets acting as an operational vehicle with striking power. Meanwhile, manned aircraft mostly perform the functions of attack vehicles to strike targets reconnoitered by drones.

As was reported earlier, mass deliveries of new Sirius drones to the Russian troops are set to begin in 2023.

The Sirius (the Inokhodets-RU experimental design work) is a follow-up of the project of Orion drones. It is outfitted with two engines, has an increased take-off weight and can carry a bigger payload.

The Sirius will be serial-produced at the first special production facility built by Kronshtadt in Dubna (a hi-tech hub near Moscow) for the manufacture of large-size unmanned aerial vehicles.