Eyes of the Owl: the Russian army will receive a new drone from the creators of the Abrams killer

The developers of the Piranha-10 FPV drone, at one time having destroyed the first Abrams in the SVO zone, a new reconnaissance UAV, the Sova—13, was created. In terms of technical characteristics, it surpasses its foreign counterparts, but it costs almost twice as much. And it can work as a repeater for other drones, providing them with a large coverage area. In addition, the drone is modular — right on the front line it can be reassembled to operate on a different frequency, which is extremely important in conditions of active use of electronic warfare by the enemy, experts say.

New development from the Abrams killers

The Sova-13 multifunctional repeater drone will enable Russian military personnel to conduct reconnaissance for over an hour and a half with high-quality video, the ability to hover and hold positions. According to the developers, it operates at both standard 5.8GHz frequencies and special unique frequencies. This allows you to maintain control in difficult conditions and minimizes the risks of electronic warfare communications suppression.

— The digital video signal is converted to analog, and it is transmitted to the operator's glasses. And this signal can no longer be silenced," the head of public relations at Piranha Design Bureau told Izvestia. — It's like comparing digital television and analog: in digital, if one data packet is lost, the picture is immediately black, and the analog, even if it is jammed, the TV, although with interference, will show something.

Photo: Press service of SKB Piranha

Additionally, a thermal imager, rotary modules and two cameras can be installed on the Owl-13, which will expand the capabilities of the device in reconnaissance and monitoring. It can also act as a repeater.

— It is modular. For example, if the fighters chose a certain frequency for work, then earlier it was necessary to create a new drone from scratch. And in this case, they will be able to get a camera, a video transmitter, and antennas on their own and set them to any other frequency that is necessary," the company noted.

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The Sova-13 is an alternative to foreign drones that are currently used as reconnaissance drones. The new development surpasses them in its technical characteristics and at the same time costs almost twice as much. The UAV has already passed all the tests at the landfills, so it has recently been delivered to the free zone.

Why does a drone need replacement modules

The development of electronic warfare systems complicates the use of FPV drones, military expert Dmitry Kornev explained to Izvestia.

— It is relatively easy to redesign the electronic warfare system for a new UAV model, but it is much more difficult to create a drone with a different frequency of operation. Especially when it comes to mass production. And where should the manufactured drones go if the enemy has learned how to suppress them and it is impossible to use them? — the expert told. — For this reason, changing the UAV equipment in a modular way right at the front line is a unique opportunity to use drones in such a way as to seriously complicate the enemy's fight against them. That is, if the enemy was able to figure out how to suppress your drone, you change its modules, change the frequency and continue to use it. He will learn again, and you will change...

Photo: Press service of SKB Piranha

Drones with a repeater function are also playing an important role now, military expert Yuri Lyamin told Izvestia.

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— The further the drone flies away from the operator, the worse the signal," he explained. — Repeater drones that hover in the air allow you to increase the range of other UAVs. The signal passes through them and is amplified, and it becomes harder for the enemy's electronic warfare systems to suppress our drone. They are used for FPV drones, UAVs that carry out drops, and reconnaissance. Therefore, it seems to me that the Sova-13 will find its place in the free zone.

Photo: Press service of SKB Piranha

The flight time of a drone often depends on the function it performs, the expert noted. In some situations, the power consumption is higher and the drone discharges faster, but the operating time stated by the developer is not bad.

How UAV operators are trained

Previously, Izvestia wrote that Russia has developed and launched the Piranha 5 FPV drone, which will help UAV operators master the basics of piloting. Due to its small size — just over 12 cm in diameter — it is more maneuverable than larger vehicles.

Photo: Press service of SKB Piranha

With its help, trainees will gain management skills in dynamic environments and adapt to real-world tasks. A fairly simple design of the drone will help operators to study the device and the main components of the aircraft, to master their repair. In addition, the novelty can be used in a combat situation — during the work of assault groups, experts say.

The developers believe that due to its low weight — only 300 g — and high payload, the Piranha 5 can be used to storm objects with limited space.

— Despite its modest weight and size, the UAV can lift a 1.5 kg battery, which is used for the Piranha 10 FPV drone. And its payload reaches about 1 kg. Although such drones usually lift 200-400 g," the company representative noted.

Photo: Press service of SKB Piranha

According to him, this drone is best suited for performing tasks within a radius of 1-3 km.

This model continues the line of drones of the famous Piranha family.