Bulgarian Military: Soviet Tu-143 UAV Turned into Cruise Missile

Tu-143 Developed at Tupolev Design Bureau

The Israel Defense Forces (Ground Forces) attacked a launch site in Lebanon where a DR-3 cruise missile was located. The missile is a modified version of the Soviet Tu-143 reconnaissance drone, according to Bulgarian Military.

The first flight of the Tu-143 took place in 1970. The UAV was developed for reconnaissance purposes. Thanks to advanced surveillance features, it played an important role for Soviet tactical aviation, providing important information about the situation on the battlefield.
 Bulgarian Military 

The DR-3 cruise missile has a range of up to 200 km and is highly accurate. For this, the Tu-143 was equipped with advanced navigation and control systems.

About the Tu-143 UAV

The Tu-143 is considered one of the most effective reconnaissance UAVs of its time. The drone is about 8 m long, with a wingspan of about 2.24 m.

The Tu-143 flies at an altitude of 1000 to 1500 m. Its maximum speed is 1000 km/h, and its flight range is about 1000 km.

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