Russia is Developing a Supersonic Missile-Firing Drone

By Michael Peck,The National Interest

Russia says it is developing a supersonic, missile-armed drone.

“Development work is currently underway on a long-range unmanned system capable of carrying out unmanned low-altitude supersonic flights, and striking both stationary and mobile targets at operational-strategic depth,” Alexander Nemov, deputy chief of the research department at the 30th Central Scientific Research Institute, told [3] Russian military television channel Zvezda. “There are no such machines in any army in the world.”

The drone will carry guided and unguided weapons, according to Nemov, who provided no other details. However, the fact that the unmanned aircraft will hit targets in the “operational-strategic depth” suggests a drone aimed not at battlefield targets, but rather striking targets up to several hundred miles behind enemy lines.

Developing such an drone is a logical development. Missile-firing drones, notably America’s Predator and Reaper UAVs, have become a military and cultural icon. Lockheed Martin is working on the SR-72 [4], a hypersonic (faster than Mach 5) unmanned spy plane. Britain’s experimental Taranis stealth UAV reported has a top speed of around Mach 1.

Recommended:America Has Military Options for North Korea (but They’re All Bad)[5]

Recommended:1,700 Planes Ready for War: Everything You Need To Know About China’s Air Force[6]

Recommended:Stealth vs. North Korea’s Air Defenses: Who Wins?[7]