RuAviation

In November 2022, the design bureau from St. Petersburg created the Hortensia combat drone, which became the first mass-produced FPV drone sent to the front on an industrial scale. Since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the company has delivered more than 2,500 FPV drones to the combat zone, which have been successfully used by Russian army units.

At the end of September, the kamikaze drone received a thermal imager, which allows it to be used in combat operations in night conditions, the Hortensia design bureau’s TG channel reported. It also added that work is currently underway to expand the FPV drone’s range.

“The Hortensia control system and various additional modules on the drone itself are constantly being refined, which gives more possibilities for the apparatus’ application,” the design bureau said.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the Hortensia FPV attack drones:

• Hortensia 7: mass of the combat unit – 2kg; flight duration – 6-8 min;
• Hortensia 9: mass of the warhead – 3 kg; flight duration – 5 min;
  • warhead mass – 2 kg; flight duration – 10 min;
• Hortensia 9 with thermal imager: mass of the warhead – 3 kg; flight duration – 5 min;
  • with mass of the warhead – 2 kg, flight duration – 10 min.
• The FPV drone has a target engagement radius of 6 kilometres.

The developers highlight the main feature of FPV-drone in the presence of its mode without additional stabilisation, which, according to them, gives full control over the drone and provides the ability to fly in all planes, including the ability to dive on the target.

Another important feature is the high speed of flight. It is achieved due to the high power of electric motors, while the drone itself is very light. This increases the manoeuvrability of the Hortensia and the effectiveness of the application in general.

“Our drones fly where many cannot even take off under the influence of electronic warfare. The flight controller is equipped with various necessary connectors to connect different types of payloads, and can optionally come with a jettison system. Now it is possible to use the drone with a thermal imager, so that even at night the enemy does not have a single chance,” the design bureau added.