Antonov - Gorlitsa-2 Strategic Unmanned Aerial Complex - SBpAK

The state enterprise "Antonov" (SE "Antonov") on its own initiative creates an operational-tactical shock-reconnaissance drone "Gorlitsa-2". It was stated 12 May 2021 that this drone would be, in a way, an analogue of the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and a competitor to the Ukrainian Sokol-300 from the Luch Design Bureau. According to Nikolay Vorobyov, director for programs of unmanned aerial systems and their modifications of the Antonov State Enterprise, Nikolai Vorobyov, the Gorlitsa-2 unmanned aerial complex (UAV) will almost completely perform the same functions as the Turkish prototype, with the exception of one - three times more time loitering in the air, amounting to 8 hours.

The Gorlitsa turtledove (Latin Spilopelia senegalensis) is a species of birds from the pigeon family of the dove-like order. Directly at SE "Antonov" they will manufacture a platform, which will consist of a fuselage, wing, empennage, chassis and AI-450 engine (manufactured by SE "Ivchenko-Progress"). To fill the platform with airborne and ground radio-electronic equipment, such as flight-navigation, search, strike and the like, specialized enterprises will be attracted.

�When we buy Bayraktar, as a finished product, by the way, we are a very good device, we do not buy development. Development implies that after making one device, in six months, modernization, modification is made, in six months something else is new, the device gradually acquires new properties compared to what it was. If you buy a ready-made device, then there is no development, development must be bought anew. This is actually a big drawback when buying weapons abroad," said Nikolai Vorobyov.

"Ukroboronpromi" said not having signed agreements on production in Ukraine Turkish percussion drones Bayraktar TB2. This was reported by LIGA.net. "To date, Ukroboronprom has not signed agreements with the Turkish side on the joint production of Bayraktar TB2 UAVs," Ukroboronprom said. The concern noted that they are ready to discuss the creation of joint ventures with international partners. However, the legal framework for the projects may be formed after the completion of the reform in Ukroboronprom.

At the first stage, Antonov, together with cooperating enterprises, develops a draft design and presents it to a potential customer and investor. If approved, they will move on to the next stage - the preparation of working drawings and the manufacture of prototypes for ground and flight tests.

According to the available information, the first stage of creating a drone is to develop a draft design and present it to a potential customer. Subject to his approval, the preparation of working drawings and the manufacture of prototypes for ground and flight tests will begin, the journalists concluded.

On 26 February 2021, a military expert, director of the Center for Army Research, Conversion and Disarmament, Valentin Badrak, said that the Ukrainian security forces could use new unmanned aerial vehicles in the Donbas , designed for use during low-intensity hostilities. According to him, in 2020, the country tested a "kamikaze drone" capable of delivering pinpoint strikes against enemy armored vehicles and firing points. In April 2014, the Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, which declared independence after the coup d'�tat in Ukraine in February 2014.

The issue of resolving the situation in Donbass is being discussed, among other things, at the meetings in Minsk of the contact group, which since the fall of 2014 adopted three documents regulating steps to de-escalate the conflict. But after the adopted ceasefire agreements between the parties to the conflict, firefights are underway.

In 2018, Antonov announced the creation of a Strategic UAV [Strategichne BpAK - Strategichne Bezpilotnik Aviatsiynyy Kompleks = Strategic Non-Piloted Aviation Complex]. The model of the product, which remained unnamed, was presented at the International Aerospace Salon "AVIASVIT - XXI" 9-12 October 2018. This is the second known example of an unmanned aerial vehicle being developed by Antonov. Prior to that, the state-owned enterprise represented a promising mobile tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (TBpAK), code "Dove".

According to the developers, the mobile tactical unmanned aerial complex (TBpAK) is designed for aerial optoelectronic reconnaissance, day and night, in simple and complex weather conditions, transmission to the command post of the brigade (battalion) of intelligence information about the enemy's targets to ensure the effective use of mechanized (tank) brigades, divisions of missile troops and artillery, as well as squadrons of army aircraft of the Land Forces.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is defined as an unmanned aerial vehicle that flies without a pilot, remotely and completely controlled from another location (ground, another aircraft, space), or is programmed and fully autonomous. UAV is a more technically accurate description preferred by specialists and professionals over "drone". This applies to large, self-driving unmanned aerial vehicles, which are widely used in the civil and defense sectors. The use of both terms should be different, depending on the characteristics of the aircraft, as well as the scope.

A BPPK is a widely used concept - UAV, that is, unmanned aerial vehicle, is a more complex term than UAV. The word "complex" already indicates that this is a collection of several items, that is, the UAV consists of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) itself, as well as the equipment necessary for its operation - a ground control station, an antenna system and a catapult.

These types of UAVs carry out strategic reconnaissance missions - they fly at high altitudes, over a long range. So, they are easier to shoot down, but they also avoid danger from many enemy air defense systems - probably, except for long-range air defense. Most of them may have electronic warfare systems that protect against enemy radars. This is a compromise - to conduct strategic reconnaissance or strike with such UAVs. At the same time, such missions have a certain risk.

Unmanned aerial systems is a fast progressing segment in the aviation field in the world. According to the forecasts of the Forecast International international agency, during the next 15 years, more than 121 million different UAVs to the amount of $133.5 billion will be produced in the world. UAVs are used in a variety of industries from agricultural activities (field spraying, etc.) and to arresting armed conflicts (for exploration, targeting, targeting high precision missiles, defining target co-ordinates, etc.).

In January 2019, some details of the development were revealed by Mykola Vorobiov, the program coordinator of unmanned aircraft systems at Antonov enterprise. The idea is to build a rather expensive vehicle carrying both reconnaissance and combat equipment. "Within the project, Antonov is responsible for the airframe and foreign partner - for the electronic and combat equipment," Vorobiov said, adding Antonov will perform up to 60 percent of the work. In total, the project provides nine suspension points for payload.

Vorobyov announced that the equipment and armament of the new strategic UAV will be foreign. According to the director of the program on unmanned aerial vehicles and their modifications of the State Enterprise "Antonov", the Ukrainian side undertakes to create a glider, while foreign partners will deal with the equipment. However, today the project is only reduced to "paperwork". "We need an investor and a big customer to start the full-scale development," explained Vorobiov, adding Ukraine�s Ministry of Defense can only purchase a limited number of such devices and only if a primary customer appears.

When ordering or financing investors, it will take about six months to start working design. The company will need about 3 years to make the first flight sample and start flight tests, specified by M. Vorobyov. It may be a Turkish/Ukrainian project with minor parts from Israel, Ukraine came to the UAV rather late and thus will take longer to produce R&D is expensive and training UAV pilots also.