OREANDA-NEWS. November 30, 2011. Test flights of an unmanned helicopter of K-MAX type for Russian Coast Guard were successfully held at the Black Sea.

First takeoff and landing of unmanned aircraft system Gorizont Air S-100 took place on Nov 26, 2011 near Novorossiysk on board patrol / interceptor boat Rubin of Project 22460. The UAV was produced by JSC Gorizont (Rostov-on-Don) under the license of Austrian company Schiebel.

Except for practicing takeoff and landing on board the ship, Gorizont experts and coast guard officers tested capabilities of the unmanned chopper and its equipment; in particular, they detected, tracked, and identified fast-speed low-signature whaleboat-type surface target maneuvering at the speed of 24 knots. All announced performance characteristics were confirmed; trials were found successful.

Expectedly, Gorizont Air will be commissioned into Coast Guard of Russian FSB Border Guard Service and stationed on Okhotnik-class patrol ships and coastal bases. Thus, frontiersmen would be the first to use ships as UAV platforms. So far, Russian Navy has no plans to acquire such systems.

License production of the unmanned helicopter is conducted by JSC Gorizont which is Russian manufacturer of navigation radars and coastal-based surveillance radars, shipborne hardware control systems, liquid crystal displays, multifunction control panels, etc. As for now, the special assembly shop certified by Schiebel is capable to provide semi knock down of six unmanned helicopters, but if the order is increased, full-scale localization of manufacturing is possible as well.

According to designers, unmanned air system Gorizont Air S-100 is capable to perform vertical takeoff and landing automatically; conduct a 6-hour long flight with payload of 25 kg (max load is 50 kg, max takeoff weight is 200 kg); controlled automatically (by GPS transceiver) and manually (by operator of surface-based command post); capable to land on board a ship without any additional equipment (compulsory landing system).

Unmanned helicopter Gorizont Air S-100 is designed for air surveillance, target search, tracking and pointing, delivery of accurate air strikes, aerial survey, and executing functions of radio relay station. It is capable to perform flights over land and sea surface in the daytime and at night.

Basic characteristics:

Engine power – 55 shp
Dimensions: length – 3.09 meters, height – 1.04 meters, rotor diameter – 3.4 meters
Basic weight – 110.2 kg, takeoff gross weight - 200 kg
Max flight speed - 220 kph, cruise speed - 100 kph
Ceiling – up to 5,500 meters
Operating radius - 150 km.