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Engineers at Russia’s Alfa experimental design bureau have developed a fiber-optic-controlled counterpart to the Molniya drone, according to the bureau’s chief technical specialist.
He said the new system is Russia’s first fixed-wing UAV to operate through a fiber-optic control channel. The drone is designed to work at a range of up to 50 kilometers.
According to the specialist, the aircraft is a fiber-optic wing capable of operating at that distance and could serve as an upgraded analogue of the Molniya. He noted that its key distinction is the use of fiber-optic control, saying no fixed-wing drone of this type currently exists in Russia.
The Alfa representative also said the designers managed to preserve the drone’s payload capacity. Like a standard fixed-wing UAV, the new aircraft can carry between 6.5 and 8 kilograms.
He emphasized that the drone will not lose its carrying capacity and will be able to transport the same 6.5–8 kilograms as a conventional fixed-wing UAV.
The bureau is currently working on three such drones. Two of them are expected to be handed over to the Russian Armed Forces after testing, where the aircraft will be evaluated under real combat conditions.