The Russian promising attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) “Thunder” will be able to control a flock of ten attack drones “Molniya”, reports TASS, citing a source in the military-industrial complex.
The interlocutor clarified that the “Lightning” will be launched not from the “Thunder”, but “from another aircraft carrier.”
In August 2020, the general designer of Kronstadt, Nikolai Dolzhenkov, announced that the Thunder UAV was designed to support the Su-35 and Su-57 fighters. The developer called the main task of this drone the preservation of the lives of the pilots and the manned aircraft themselves. It is assumed, in particular, that the combat vehicle will destroy the enemy's air defense (air defense) systems and perform other combat missions.
According to open data, “Thunder” will receive four suspension points (two – under the wings and two – inside the fuselage). The takeoff weight of this UAV will be 7 tons, the payload weight is 1.3 tons, and the flight range is 800 kilometers.
