The Russian Defense Ministry has commenced flight tests of the UAE-made United 40 military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a source familiar with the situation told RIA Novosti.
Adcom Systems, the manufacturer of the medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAVs, announced arrangements to supply the United 40 to Russia in 2013. The tests of the UAVs were subsequently postponed at the Russian Defense Ministry’s request.
According to the manufacturer, United 40 is designed for strategic missions such as near real time combat assessment, battle damage assessment and intelligence preparation of the battlefield. It may also be used for reconnaissance operations and humanitarian aid missions as well as border surveillance and communications relay.
The United 40 has an S-shaped fuselage and two long wings in a tandem biplane configuration. According to the manufacturer, the tandem wing configuration means that the aircraft is very tolerant to shifts in its centre of gravity. The vehicle’s propulsion consists of two 115-hp Rotax piston engines. The UAV can carry munitions externally on four 100 kg (220 lb) underwing pylons and internally within a six-round revolving dispenser.
The United 40 vehicle has a wingspan of 17.53 m (57 ft 6 in), a maximum take-off weight of 2,000 kg (4,409 lb), an endurance of over 100 hours, and a service ceiling of 8,000 m (26,247 ft).
Source: Sputnik