A new stratospheric Predator drone fighter has been developed in Russia, capable of rising to a height of up to 15 km. The technical characteristics of the aircraft were told by Vladimir Tabunov, General Director of the Geron development company.
According to him, the Predator will be useful for long-duration missions at high altitudes and can replace certain functions of satellite and ground-based systems.
The maximum speed of the Predator is up to 550 km/h, the maximum flight range is up to 12 thousand km, the operating altitude is up to 15 thousand m, the payload is up to 500 kg. Vertical take-off and landing and hovering mode have been implemented.
When creating the drone, engineers used the "monowing" technology, which increased the flight speed and payload mass. Artificial intelligence and a 3D scanning mode of space have been integrated into the Predator.
It is planned to create a scaled model in 2026. The time frame for presenting a full-size sample within a year will depend on the project funding.
Tabunov added that at the current stage of development, the localization of the stratospheric drone has reached 80%, and it is planned to bring the figure to 100% by the end of the project.
Prior to that, Russia came up withan unusual light fighter design, which solves one of the main problems of combat aviation - reducing take-off and landing speed without losing cruising characteristics.
