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R18
R18 drone on the exhibition, 2022
Role	unmanned aerial vehicle
National origin	Ukraine
Manufacturer	ISR Defense
Design group	Aerorozvidka
First flight	2017 (2017)
Introduction	2019 (2019)
Primary user	Security & Defense Forces of Ukraine

R18 is a Ukrainian unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed to attack enemy targets with ammunition, developed by the Ukrainian organization "Aerorozvidka". Used by the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War, which has been ongoing since 2014.

History

In 2016, Aerorozvidka started a program to develop the prototypes of its unmanned aerial vehicles. In 2019, the model was thoroughly tested and used during a special operation in the ATO zone.

Purpose

R18 is a drone that has military and civilian applications. The octocopter is used for surveillance and search, delivering cargo, or inflicting damage. As of 2022, the last function in Aerorozvidka is called the most relevant because many other drones with cameras can collect information. The complex is designed to destroy enemy equipment, small fortifications, and warehouses with ammunition.

Application

Parts of the R18 drone damaged as a result of shelling in a combat sortie, 2022

The combat use of R18 started in 2019 during the Russo-Ukrainian War. They work with the octocopter mainly at night, using the tactics of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The targets of drone attacks are mostly enemy cannons, tanks, armored vehicles, and trucks.

On the first day of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, February 24, 2022, one of the combat units prepared equipment and moved to the area of ​​the airfield in Hostomel. Through horizontal communications, representatives of Aerorozvidka began to communicate with those involved in the events. On the first night, an R18 drone was used to inflict damage on paratroopers at the airport.

As of July 2022, 20 crews of R18 drones are working on the front lines of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which has neutralized more than 100 units of enemy equipment. In June, Aerorozvidka noted that the R18 is used by the Main Directorate of Intelligence, the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and other structures of the Ministry of Defense; National Guard; Security Service of Ukraine; other units of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine.

Characteristics

R18 is a multirotor type unmanned aerial vehicle. It is an octocopter, that is, a multicopter with eight propellers. Accordingly, the drone has 8 engines. This number of engines is used for greater reliability. The drone has vertical takeoff and landing. Ukrainian and imported components are used in construction.

Armament

External videos
The Night Raids on YouTube // R18 actions during Russo-Ukrainian War
Cut down the Russian invadors on YouTube // R18 damaging during Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine
Exam on YouTube // Examination of the future R18 crew
Worked against the enemy on YouTube // R18 landing after fly

To use the R18 drone as a bomber, Soviet RKG-3 cumulative anti-tank grenades are used or RKG-1600 bombs created on their basis by gunsmiths of the Mayak plant (weight of one is 1.6 kg), the power of which is capable of neutralizing a lightly armored object with an attack from above. The accuracy of hitting with the RKG-1600 is one square meter from a height of 300 meters. The R18 is capable of carrying three such munitions. It can fly up to 40 sorties without additional maintenance or repair.

Other characteristics

R18 drone landing after the trails tests, 2020

• complex deployment time — up to 15 minutes;
• equipping with a thermal imager — yes;
• number of mounts for projectiles — 3 pcs.;
• total weight — 17 kg;
  • weight without batteries — 6.45 kg;
  • the weight of the battery pair is 5.55 kg;
  • the weight of the thermal imaging suspension — 490 g;
  • useful load capacity — up to 5 kg;
• ammunition drop height — up to 300 m / from 100 to 300 m
• speed — 12 m/s;
• vertical speed — 2.5 m/s;
• wind resistance — 10 m/s;
• ambient temperature range — from -15 to +35 °C;
• radius of action — 5 km;
• application distance — 20 km;
• flight duration — 45 minutes;
• overall (transport) dimensions — 1200x1200x400 mm;
• battery type — Li-ion 6s 24v 32500mah x 2.

Training

The training of one R18 drone pilot lasts from two weeks to a month.

Trials

R18 drone test bombing via RKG-1600 in the range, 2020

At the end of November - beginning of December 2020, tests of dropping new RKG-1600 training and simulation ammunition from an R18 octocopter took place during command and staff exercises at the base of the 235th interspecies training center for military units and units ("Shirokiy Lan" training ground). It is noted that this was the first time when an Aerorozvidka attack drone was included in the combined combat training program. During testing, drone operators successfully hit all targets.

Funding

Aerorovizdka independently collects funds from donations for the production of R18.

Assessments

According to Aerorovizdka, a feature of the use of R18 octocopters at the front in the Russian-Ukrainian war, which has been ongoing since 2014, has been high payback. It is noted that with the help of relatively cheap equipment, it is possible to inflict significant losses on the enemy:

«Ми розраховували, що $1, вкладений у виробництво дрона R18, завдає збитків на $1000 для ворога. Якщо дрон вражає таку техніку як танк, він окупається за один виліт. Адже знищена техніка коштує мільйони, а техніка, з якою ми працюємо, коштує десятки чи сотні тисяч.»

“We calculated that $1 invested in the production of an R18 drone causes $1,000 worth of damage to the enemy. If a drone hits a piece of equipment like a tank, it pays for itself in one flight. After all, destroyed equipment costs millions, but the equipment we work with costs tens or hundreds of thousands.”

See also

• List of unmanned aerial vehicles

External links

• Parker, Charlie. "Specialist Ukrainian drone unit picks off invading Russian forces as they sleep". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
• Inside the elite Ukrainian drone unit founded by volunteer IT experts: 'We are all soldiers now.'. Business Insider. 09.04.2022
• Small Quadcopters Rule The Battlefield In Ukraine — Which Makes Their Chinese Manufacturers Very Unhappy. Forbes. 29.04.2022
• Ukraine’s Next-Gen Anti-Tank Drones Are Bigger, Tougher And Much Smarter (Updated: New Video). Forbes. 14.07.2022
• The Ragtag Army That Won the Battle of Kyiv and Saved Ukraine. James Marson. The Wall Street Journal. 20.09.2022
• Ukraine’s R18 drone credited with inflicting $130 million in Russian army losses. Bruce Crumley, DroneDJ. 16.09.2022
• (in Ukrainian) Повітряні війни. Безпілотні літальні апарати захопили небо — Texty.org.ua. 04.08.2022
• (in Ukrainian) Усе для Перемоги. 31 військова розробка українців, що допомагає боронити Незалежність — dev.ua. 24.08.2022

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Переклад тут: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mj0NcaqUQWGE2eXI-2Z8xeswrLGKzPfc7x4Wjfz0hg0/edit#

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