Russia unveils a rail-guided ship system for launching UAVs
At the international defense forum Armi-2022, held near Moscow, a ship-based system for launching and landing drones was presented. The system was developed by the Black Sea Higher Naval School PS Nakhimov. This is the naval school’s own design, writes TASS. The system is displayed at the stand of the main command of the Russian Navy.
The system has already been patented, writes TASS. It is a boom rail guide that grips the wing of the drones. This structure is mounted on stabilized telescopic swivel rods. They provide rotation in different planes, TASS also says. The shipboard drone landing system is designed for short and medium-range drones.
The principle of operation is as follows: the boom with a handle is displayed outside the deck and at a pre-set angle “catches” the incoming drone in the air. This is when the drone should land. When it is to be fired “the arrow is directed either towards the open sea or parallel to the ship’s longitudinal axis, preventing the device from colliding with elements of the superstructure”.
The Naval Academy says this drone launch and landing system can be mounted on any helicopter carrier or smaller warships. The entire system configuration can maintain a fixed direction, the school says. This system can also maintain position in space at a tilt angle of -10 to 10 degrees. The fixed position is guaranteed at a wave amplitude of 2 to 6 m. According to naval engineers, the angle of rotation in a horizontal plane is 250 degrees.
The Black Sea Higher Naval School named after PS Nakhimov is one of the largest military educational and scientific centers of the Russian Navy. It prepares officers, foremen, as well as scientific and pedagogical personnel for a postgraduate qualification. The school’s research complex consists of four laboratories that closely interact with university departments, other specialized educational institutions, and research organizations in the defense industry.
