Oko design team announced that the Privet-82 suicide UAV, each costing less than $1,500, hit a Ukrainian stronghold in its first combat operation.
"The first test fire of Privet-82 took place not long ago, the target was a Ukrainian military base. The distance from the starting point to the destination was about 12 km. This was the first time our device was used for combat missions and it was successful in the first battle," Oko, the Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design team, announced today.
The design team said the UAV is launched from the rear, then the frontline crew connects to steer it to its destination. "This technology allows the aircraft to approach the target area without transmitting or receiving radio signals, making it impossible for electronic warfare systems to detect and limiting the enemy's ability to respond," said an Oko representative.
Privet-82 UAV prototype during testing. Photo: Oko .
The manufacturer claims that the Privet-82 system is relatively easy to operate, even for less experienced soldiers. "Before the raid, the new aircraft operator completed about five days of training and had one day to familiarize himself with the equipment. This demonstrates the simplicity of the Privet-82," the Oko team revealed.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.
Each Privet-82 costs about $1,450, much cheaper than the tens of thousands of dollars each of the Russian Geran-2 and Iranian Shahed-136. It is expected to cause many difficulties for Kiev's air defense system, especially in the frontline area that currently lacks defense nets.
Privet-82 has a range of 30 km, a speed of 140 km/h and a maximum payload of 5.5 kg. It is optimized for attacking fortified positions and counter-battery missions. Many Russian military units have proposed using this UAV to hunt enemy armored vehicles, but the developers need to conduct more practical tests.
Oko is a newly established civil organization in Russia, gathering many volunteers with experience in building UAVs. "We do not participate in state defense procurement contracts and do not have a license to manufacture weapons. Privet-82 is a simple aircraft, the warhead will be installed by the operating unit itself. The aircraft can carry many different types of weapons," said a representative of Oko.
Oko’s goal is to launch a mass production line, significantly increasing production from the initial 100 units per month. “Using civilian technology allows us to scale up very quickly and ensure the ability to produce thousands of UAVs per month within the next few months,” the design team revealed.
Suicide UAVs are designed to carry explosives and attack targets behind enemy lines. Unlike traditional large UAVs that can launch missiles, drop bombs, and return to base after the attack, suicide UAVs only launch a single attack.
These weapons are small in size, light in weight and easy to deploy. They are difficult to detect by radar and sensor systems and pose a huge challenge to Ukrainian air defense systems. Suicide UAVs are also known as "cruise bullets" because they can hover in the sky for long periods of time and only dive down to attack when they identify a specific target.
Vu Anh (According to TASS, Reuters )
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