Russian Attack Drone Under Development

Russia is developing an attack drone that could eventually carry out strikes on stationary and moving targets over land and sea. Russian aircraft manufacturer Suknoi is building the drone.

A prototype of the 20-ton attack drone could be in operation by 2018, as long as everything goes to plan. While the specific capabilities of the Russian drone haven’t been released, they will likely rival that of American attack drones, like the Predator.

Vladimir Anokhin, vice president of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues, told Pravda, “From the point of view of theory, engineering and design ideas, we are not last place in the world.”

Still, Anokhin believes Russia has a long way to go to catch up to other countries. He added, “We have wonderful teams that have spent decades working on this. But we do not have enough hands.”

Drone development in Russia has been largely neglected until now. In contrast, the US military uses drones for a variety of tasks, from collecting surveillance to carrying out attacks on targets. US and Japanese officials recently finalized an agreement that allows American drones to take off from Japan and spy on North Korea.

Anokhin believes a Russian attack drone, along with other unmanned aircraft, will bolster Russia’s defense capabilities, as well as the country’s Air Force. He explained, “Drones can be sent to combat zones, to explore and carry out regular observations, without risking human lives.”

Still, drones aren’t always a popular option. In particular, the use of drones by the Obama administration has many American citizens and foreign countries upset. The main contention is the administration’s use of drones to attack and kill militants, particularly in the Middle East.

Still, Anokhin believes the unmanned aircraft are “the next step in the development of aviation that has [a] future.” It is unclear at this point when Russia’s attack drones will start operation.

[Image via dvande / Shutterstock.com]