NEW PHOTO OF RUSSIA’S TACTICAL COMBAT UAV KORSAR SPARKS RUMORS ABOUT ITS USAGE IN SYRIA

IMAGE SOURCE: TASS

A new photo of the Russian tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Korsar has sparked rumors of its combat usage in the Syrian conflict.

Two Korsar tactical UAVs were shown during the trial run of the May 9 military parade in Moscow on April 26. The May 9 (known as Victory Day in Russia) military parade at Red Square will mark the 73th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

The Korsar is developed by the Russian research and development company Lutch, part of JSC Vega Radio Engineering Corporation. According to the Russian media: the UCAV has a combat radius of 200 km and a weight of 200 kg. The UAV can conduct both reconnaissance and strike missions.

It can carry various guided and ungided missiles, including Ataka anti-tank guided missiles, as well as multi-purpose rocket-propelled grenades. The Ataka missile can be used against armoured and unarmoured targets as well as buildings and bunkers within the range of up to 6 km.

A photo of one of the showcased UAVs can be seen above. This photo has immidiately sparked rumors that this Korsar (tail number #23) has particiapted in the Russian military operation in Syria. This UAV has 10 red starts. In general, a red start marks 10 combat sorties carried out by aircraft. Thus, this UAV has allegedly conducted at least 100 combat sorties.

According to some media activists, this may explain repeated reports about some strange “missile strikes” on militant targets in the Syrian provinces of Latakia, Aleppo and Idlib. These “mysterious” missile strikes have been often attributed ot unidentified aircraft or even to the Russian Navy (repeated unconfirmed reports about Kalibr missile strikes on various targets).

Comments

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re...

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has ...

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, sp...

ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Search This Blog