Russia showcases trio of new drones in Dubai

Representatives of the Russian defense industry unveiled three new unmanned systems - the Forpost-RE attack-capable UAV, the KSI modular transport drone and the Supercam S180 high-speed reconnaissance UAV - at the Dubai Airshow 2025.

The Forpost-RE is the export version of the upgraded Russian Forpost-R UAV, redesigned during the military campaign in Ukraine with a new engine, fully indigenous avionics, new radar and composite wing and tail assemblies.

Forpost-RE with four underwing attack weapons pylons on display at the exhibition.

The manufacturer says all imported subsystems have been replaced, retaining only the original airframe geometry from the Israeli Searcher II. The UAV carries modular ISR payloads and can deploy glide bombs, glide bombs and guided missiles.

The manufacturer's spokeswoman, Ekaterina Zgirovskaya, told media in Abu Dhabi that the radar provides the ability to monitor land and sea activity and helps Russian forces, including the navy, acquire targets.

The new manufacturing process has reduced labor intensity for the export version. The Forpost UAV has been used in Syria and later in Ukraine, where the Defense Ministry released footage of attacks on artillery systems, armored vehicles and other equipment.

Analysts note that the platform is used for border and maritime surveillance. Military analyst Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia that UAVs offer a less risky solution to intercepting unmanned ships in disputed waters.

The KSI UAV, developed by the Center for Autonomous Robot Systems (JSC CARS), will also be exhibited overseas for the first time. It is a multi-rotor transport platform that can carry up to 25 kg for logistics, emergency delivery, aerial inspection and surveillance missions.

KSI transport UAV with modular architecture transports equipment in a scientific research in the Far East.

Its modular architecture allows for quick role changes by swapping out hardware. Its carbon fiber construction supports operation in hot environments, the manufacturer says.

Another debut product is the Supercam S180, presented by Rosoboronexport's Unmanned Systems group. The exhibition will also feature the Supercam S350, the tiltrotor SX350 and the multirotor Supercam X4.

Supercam UAVs have been used by Russian and Belarusian forces in recent CSTO and "Zapad-2025" exercises based on combat scenarios.

Russian soldiers deploy Supercam S350 UAV during CSTO exercises.

Belarusian operators told state media that the S350 is jam-resistant and can operate without satellite navigation. The manufacturer said the system recently received an FPV drone detection and suppression module that is being evaluated for operation in Ukraine.

Russian military reports describe the S350 as providing targeting data for armored vehicles, artillery systems, and air defense platforms. Naval reports mention its role in transmitting real-time coordinates to aircraft during Black Sea Fleet exercises.

The Supercam X4, which has a payload capacity of 1 kg and a flight time of 50 minutes, is being introduced to foreign markets after previous demonstrations in Belarus and Moscow. The Dubai Airshow 2025 will be the first time the Supercam X4 and KSI will appear in the Persian Gulf region.