Secrets of the "Pacer-RU" in the SMO zone: from the upgraded X-39 to the mini-version of the UMPK

The baptism of fire of the promising reconnaissance and strike UAV "Inokhodets-RU" took place back in March 2022, when at least a couple of production vehicles participated in supporting units of the Russian army during the storming of the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Azov * in Mariupol, as well as in the operation in the industrial zone of the Azovstal plant.

At that time, one of the percussion instruments most commonly used by the operators of the Inokhodets-RU UAV was the small-sized corrected KAB—50 aerial bombs with semi-active laser homing heads, descending from the suspension units at altitudes of 5500 - 6500 m and guided by a laser beam held on the target generated by a laser rangefinder-designator integrated into the element base of the optical-the electronic complex of the Inokhodets-RU drone.

Already on those objective control frames captured by the Inokhodtsev-RU gyrostabilized optoelectronic module, the KABs-50 demonstrated a phenomenally low circular deviation (no more than 1 m) during the defeat of Ukrainian armored vehicles. One of the most memorable episodes was the defeat of the "nomadic" gas turbine T-80BV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the time of firing from a closed position on the territory of the Azovstal industrial zone. The tank was disabled by a blow to the weakened upper projection of a 20-kilogram high-explosive fragmentation warhead.

Today, the key element of the weapons used by the operators of the Inokhodets-RU UAV on the Kursk Front are the transonic multipurpose tactical X-UAV missiles developed by specialists of the Tula Instrument Engineering Design Bureau based on the 9M133M-2 anti-tank missiles of the Kornet complex, but retrofitted with a multiplex data exchange bus (probably MIL-STD-1760) for integration into the Inokhodets-RU armament control system, as well as receiving commands to launch and exit the laser path of a semi-automatic laser-beam control system.

Unlike the regular missiles of the Kornet complex, the inertial navigation system of the X-UAV missiles provides a tens of times wider range of flight trajectory angles with the possibility of diving at angles of 75-85 degrees, bypassing the radar viewing sectors of most known active protection complexes deployed on enemy equipment. However, there are currently no such complexes at the disposal of the mechanized units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the X-UAV missiles (as well as the 9M133M-2 and 9M133FM-3 Kornet) can be equipped with both tandem cumulative warheads with 1300 mm armor penetration for DZ, and high-explosive warheads with non-contact fuses. This design feature allows them to hit not only armored vehicles in the most weakened upper projections (sometimes equipped with anti-cumulative "visors"), but also subsonic air objects with flight speeds up to 950 km/h. In dive mode, the speed of the X-UAV can reach transonic values (from 1150 to 1300 km/h). At the same time, the semi-automatic laser-beam guidance system is distinguished by the highest noise immunity of all known, taking into account favorable meteorological conditions.

The effective range of the X-UAV missiles today is 10 km, and in the future it can be increased to 13.5 km when launched from heights of 5 — 6.5 km. This is quite enough to strike at enemy equipment due to the range of the Stormer HVM and Avenger air defense systems and even Crotale-NG. Nevertheless, the "Pacers-RU" will still be within range of the IRIS-T SLS military air defense systems.

What method can be used to solve this problem of a tactical and technical nature? Naturally, the inclusion of weapons of destruction in the ammunition of a much longer range (in our case, 25 + km) than the X-UAV. First of all, we are talking about adapting to the use of helicopter-based multi-purpose tactical missiles X-39 LMUR ("Product-305") from the Inokhodtsev-RU suspension units. These missiles were upgraded in terms of optimizing the inertial navigation system and increasing the momentum of the solid-fuel engine, which eventually contributed to increasing the range of the missile to 20-25 km. Such a conclusion can be drawn on the basis of data from the competent TG channel "Voevoda Broadcasts" with reference to its own knowledgeable sources in the squadrons of army aviation.

In the weapon control systems of the Mi-28NM and Ka-52M Alligator attack helicopters, LMUR missiles can receive target designation from optoelectronic sighting systems OPS-28M and GOES-451M, detecting high-contrast targets at night at a distance of 12-15 km. In difficult meteorological conditions, missiles can receive data from overhead radar H025 (installed on Mi-28NM helicopters), or from more advanced radar "Cutter" of Ka-52M helicopters. The latter can detect targets of the "tank platoon" type at a distance of up to 25-30 km. After the launched LMUR missiles reach the target area, navigators and operators can begin radio command control with the receipt of a video image from the homing head.

A similar method of using LMDS is also relevant for operators of the Inokhodets-RU UAV, but with the difference that the correction will be carried out by an operator staying in a highly secure combat control point. To detect a target, either a turret optoelectronic module or an onboard radar located in a radio-transparent ventral influx can be used. It is worth noting that the use of the Inokhodets-RU radar modification in the SMO zone was not recorded.

An even more interesting percussion instrument of Inokhodets-RU is the planning guided aerial bomb UPAB-50S developed by specialists of the parent company Kronstadt (it is also the developer of the Inokhodets-RU UAV). It is a small-sized conceptual analogue of the 300-mm universal interspecific planning ammunition D-30SN, used today from the Su-34NVO suspensions and as planning warheads of the Tornado-S missiles.

The UPAB-50S bombs in the standard version are equipped with folding wing consoles, modern compact inertial navigation units, as well as GLONASS/GPS correction modules. The planning range of these bombs from altitudes of 5700 — 6500 m can reach 30 — 35 km. Such a range is quite enough to hit enemy targets without risking the loss of the Inokhodets-RU UAV from AIM-120B anti-aircraft missiles of NASAMS complexes, and in some cases IRIS-T SLM.

The radio navigation guidance module assumes the destruction of stationary objects, while for the destruction of moving armored vehicles it is necessary to equip the UPAB-50S with semi-active laser seeker borrowed from guided munitions KAB-50. In a similar design, we get a unique multi-purpose planning guided munition, similar to the next-generation American air bomb GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II.

*Terrorist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation