ABU DHABI, February 20. /TASS/. The medium-range Forpost drone displayed for the first time at the IDEX international arms show can receive the function of dropping loitering munitions, Spokeswoman of the Ural Civil Aviation Plant Yekaterina Zgirovskaya said.
"The Russian medium-range Forpost reconnaissance-strike complex with unmanned aerial vehicles can receive a possibility to release loitering munitions," she said.
At present, the Forpost can carry missiles and glide bombs and strike stationary and moving armor.
"The Forpost has been considerably upgraded since the start of batch production. New payloads have radically increased the range of engagement," she said.
The drone can conduct optical, radio and radar monitoring and employ air-launched weapons. The plant can add payloads requested by foreign customers, Zgirovskaya said.
"The Forpost helped the Defense Ministry master a new line of vehicles - airfield-based medium-range drones - and obtain the necessary experience. The producer mastered a new direction and created a product in demand," the spokeswoman said.
Forpost drone gets radar
Designers of the Forpost drone have created an option with a radar to monitor hostile objects and provide target acquisition, Zgirovskaya said.
"Designers have provided new capabilities to the Forpost and equipped it with a radar. The task is to monitor ground and water objects, identify moving targets and provide target acquisition to Russian forces, including the Navy," she said.
The Forpost can also operate as a re-transmitter of open and secure communications between military units in the zone of coverage, the spokeswoman said.
The Forpost-R is a completely domestic vehicle. All imported components have been replaced. The payload includes replaceable modules with a thermal imaging camera, a color video camera on a gyro-stabilized rotating platform, a photo camera and other equipment.
The Forpost-R is an upgrade of the Forpost drone. Only the lines of the hull remained unchanged. The drone is made of Russian materials and carries modern electronic equipment, communications and Russian software. The Forpost-R is powered by a Russian engine. It features increased capabilities thanks to its advanced design and can engage in reconnaissance round-the-clock with optical, electronic and radar means. New radio communications have expanded the engagement range by a hundred kilometers and provided higher protection against foreign electronic warfare. The drone weighs close to 500 kg. The flight duration is 18 hours and the top altitude is 6 km.