Russian engineers have created a piloted mini-helicopter designed to give troops a new way to move quickly in a combat zone. The development is intended for rapidly crossing minefields, water obstacles, forest belts and other areas where ground vehicles depend on terrain, roads and enemy threats.
TASS was told about the creation of the vehicle by Dmitry Kuzyakin, general designer of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions. According to him, the project was carried out by the center’s specialists together with Russia’s advanced engineering groups.
The main idea behind the development is to combine the maneuverability of an ATV with the capabilities of a helicopter. Quad bikes and all-terrain motorcycles are now often used for rapid movement of troops, but they travel on the ground and therefore remain vulnerable to mines, loitering drones, road conditions and terrain features. The new mini-helicopter, Kuzyakin noted, makes it possible to leap over such obstacles instead of looking for a route on the ground.
The designer emphasized that the vehicle can fly below treetop level and maneuver between obstacles with high precision. It can also be assembled directly on site in about half an hour. According to Kuzyakin, the minimum flight altitude reduces the risk of severe injury in the event of a fall if something goes wrong.
The developers believe that, if flight rules are followed, such equipment can make movement in a combat zone several times safer. Kuzyakin acknowledged that the mini-helicopter, like any piece of equipment, can be hit by a drone. However, he said an aerial vehicle has a better chance of crossing a dangerous section quickly before the enemy has time to react.
Special attention at the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions was given to control. Kuzyakin said troops with experience piloting FPV drones in acrobatic mode should be able to master the mini-helicopter relatively easily. A special simulator has been created for accelerated training, allowing operators to practice control skills before an actual flight.
The vehicle is built according to a coaxial design. According to the general designer, even at extremely small dimensions, this layout preserves its key advantages: high maneuverability, compactness, shortened main rotors and reliability. He also recalled that Soviet and later Russian coaxial helicopters became one of the calling cards of domestic helicopter engineering on a global scale.
Kuzyakin linked the appearance of the mini-helicopter to the experience of the special military operation, which, in his view, shows that victory is achieved not by a single solution, but by a set of tools. He described the new development as another instrument in the military lineup, intended to make the service of Russian troops safer, more effective and deadlier for the enemy.
The vehicle’s technical specifications are not being disclosed. However, the general designer noted that the mini-helicopter is capable of carrying an armed and fully equipped soldier from a settlement to a district center and back while flying at the height of roadside utility poles and below the trees. According to him, if this «aerial ATV» can be mass-produced, personnel trained and Russian troops «put on wings," the situation on the front could change in the near future.