Production of maneuverable drones, “Lotosnik,” launched in the Astrakhan region

In the Astrakhan region launched the production of maneuverable drones “Lotosnik”

The production of maneuverable drones, called “Lotosnik,” was launched in the Astrakhan region, and Governor of the region Igor Babushkin said in his Telegram channel following a visit to the Army-2023 forum.

“The production of drones has been launched in the Astrakhan region. The drone was called the Lotosnik. The model is very maneuverable. It can fly into a trench, a window, or even a tank hatch. The peculiarity of drones is that they are controlled in manual mode, the pilot puts on goggles and sees the whole picture. The production is ready to supply FPV drones and enters the market, today the manufacturer estimates its capabilities at 500 drones per month,” wrote Babushkin.

He specified that the first batch will be transferred to the special operation zone in the near future. At the same time, according to Babushkin, the fighters will not have to additionally flash and configure something. The peculiarity of the model lies in the fact that most of the components are domestic, and some are entirely their own development.

“It is important to note that drones are actively used in many areas of the economy for aerial photography and monitoring, including agriculture, construction, and large enterprises. The main difference from industrial versions is the cost, which is several times lower than similar foreign models,” he added.

The international military-technical forum “Army-2023” is being held from August 14 to 20 at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center, at the Alabino training ground, and the Kubinka airfield. About 1.5 thousand leading Russian defense industry enterprises, as well as 85 foreign companies and organizations from seven countries, take part in the exposition and business program.

The FPV drone is very maneuverable – it can fly into a trench, a window or a hatch of a tank. The “birds” are controlled in manual mode – the pilot puts on goggles and sees the whole picture, working outside the line of sight of the enemy. The drone can carry a combat projectile weighing up to three kilograms at a speed of up to 90 km/h.

The prime cost of the device is several times lower than similar foreign models. Most of the components are domestic, and some are completely developed by Astrakhan. Today, the manufacturer estimates its capabilities at 500 drones per month. At the same time, the production has already begun to develop systems for self-destruction and bypassing electronic warfare so that the winged reconnaissance aircraft does not fall into the hands of the enemy.