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Russian unmanned aerial vehicle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Orlan-10 (Russian: Орлан-10) is a reconnaissance, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Special Technology Center (STC) in Saint Petersburg for the Russian Armed Forces.[7][8] The Orlan-10 features a composite fuselage that reduces its radar signature.[9]
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Russian. (December 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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| Orlan-10 | |
|---|---|
| |
| An Orlan-10 on display in 2022 | |
| Role | Reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle |
| National origin | Russia |
| Manufacturer | Special Technology Center (STC) |
| Introduction | 2011 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | Russian Ground Forces Ministry of Emergency Situations (Russia)[1] Tatmadaw[2] Kazakhstan State Committee for National Security[3][4] Armed Forces of Kazakhstan[5] Wagner Group[6] |
Drones are usually deployed in groups of two or three; the first is used for reconnaissance at a height of 1,000 to 1,500 metres (3,300 to 4,900 ft), the second for electronic warfare and the third as a data relay.[10] One system can include up to five vehicles.[11]
In 2020, a larger Orlan-30 version was introduced, with a laser designator option to increase the effectiveness of other precision weapons, following testing in 2019.[12][13] Its export version was first presented in August 2023.[14]
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More than 1,000 Orlan-10s have been produced (2018), with 11 different variations.[15] More Orlan-10s and 30s were ordered in August 2022.[16] The price for one system (including 2 drones, a portable launch complex, a control station and a set of spare parts) was reportedly 5 million rubles ($150,000) in 2013.[17]
Over 50 Orlan UAVs were delivered for export in 2021 to Russia's allies.[18] It has seen action in Ukraine, Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.[19][20]
In 2023, reports stated that components made in Ireland[21] and STMicroelectronics microchips were found in Orlan drones, in spite of the sanctions regime imposed on Russia.[22] On 3 January 2023, CBS News reported that Orlan-10 shot in the past 4 months contained U.S. and Swiss made microchips (Maxim, Microchip and U-Blok) used for their ability to connect to the GLONASS positioning system for navigation. These chips are also able to access the GPS and Galileo systems contributing to redundancy and increase accuracy for flying and targeting.[23]
In July 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated that the supplies of Orlan-10 and -30 drones had surged 53 times since early 2022.[24] In February 2024, the manufacturer claimed an annual production of over 1000 Orlan-10.[25]
The Orlan-10 is reportedly being used in the Russo-Ukrainian War. In this conflict aerial reconnaissance by unmanned aerial vehicles is banned by the Minsk agreements.[10] Ukrainian officials have claimed to have had shot down or captured several UAVs of this type since 2014:
An upgraded strike version of the Orlan-10 able to carry four high-explosive fragmentation projectiles was reportedly used in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[39] According to the Ukrainian Military, at least 85 have been shot down in combat during the war,[40][41][failed verification][when?] including by a UK-supplied Martlet missile.[42] A version called Moskit is used for EW.[43]
In December 2022, Colonel Yurii Solovey, head of air defense for the Ukrainian ground forces, stated his units had destroyed more than 580 Orlan-10s since the invasion began, and the lack of drones affected Russian forces' ability to recon for artillery and counterbattery fire. Alternative drones were employed to fill the Orlan-10's role, but they are difficult to procure due to dependence on components originating from countries that have imposed sanctions.[44] However, in July 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu stated that the supplies of Orlan-10 and -30 drones had surged 53 times since early 2022.[24]
On 17 October 2023, Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade, said that the Orlan was an issue for Ukrainian forces due to its resistance to jamming and ability to help with artillery fire and reconnaissance.[45]
On 27 April 2024, an Orlan-10 was shot down by the crew of a Ukrainian Yakovlev Yak-52 sport aircraft. As the Yak-52 is unarmed, it is believed that the drone was disabled by the Yak-52's second crew member, likely by firing at it with a machine gun from the plane as it approached the drone.[46]
The Orlan-10 is being actively used by the Russian Ground Forces in the Syrian Civil War for either reconnaissance, collecting aerial imagery or 3D-mapping in support of humanitarian convoys and S&R operations.[47]
In November 2015, an Orlan-10 located the surviving member of a downed Russian Su-24M2 bomber and facilitated his speedy recovery.[47]
On 10 March 2020, an Orlan-10 drone was shot down by Syrian rebels in Suluk, Raqqa Governorate.[48]
On 9 June 2021, an Orlan-10 killed a prominent HTS member known as Abu Khalid al-Shami.[49]
In early February 2022, an Orlan-10 drone crashed near Brest.[50][51]
On 13 March 2022, an Orlan-10 was found on a field in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Romania. It was initially thought to be a drone owned by a private person in Romania, however it was soon identified as a Russian-made Orlan-10. The investigation is ongoing.[52][53] According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the drone belongs to the Russian army.[54]
On 16 July 2022, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara shot down an Orlan-10 in Ménaka Region operated by Wagner Group.[6]
The Orlan-10, while not sophisticated, is cheap and simple to operate. It flies too high to be vulnerable to short-range air defences, but is too inexpensive to justify using costly long-range defences. It provides a sufficient view of the battlefield to identify targets.[55]
Data from [citation needed]
General characteristics
Performance
Avionics
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