1. It would be easy to overlook this single photo of a mysterious #Ukrainian #drone that was shown on a Russian Telegram channel. This drone crashed in the Belgorod region and there are a number of interesting details.
t.me
t.me
2. There have been a few previous crashes of this model of drone. One of the crash sites showed a lot of detail including a C3-6 explosive. It is not clear why this drone crashed largely intact.
t.me
t.me
3. These drones use the Chinese-made DLE 170 engine. The engine here has dark oil on the exhaust manifold which suggests a possible engine failure. The fuselage is expensively made from carbon fibre and has fancy aluminum parts.
4. The electronics are curious. Automotive style fuses are used with 23 circuits (23 seems a lot for a small drone). There are also at least six different types of electrical connectors including BNC, SMA, DB9, and DB25.
5. A different crash provides information on how the wing is constructed. Tubes pass through the mounting brackets but the order of assembly is not obvious. Perhaps the spars slide in from the wingtips.
t.me
t.me
6. The origin of these aircraft is somewhat murky. Three of the same model of drone are in service with the Pakistan Air Force.
7. These aircraft were also on display in Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP). There are no obvious indications of the aircraft manufacturer or model on the drones. Maybe we should name it, "NASTP YX".
8. More importantly, the mystery drones were displayed along with a KaGeM V3 developed by RE & RP Group NASTP that shows a Baykar logo. Also displayed are a Baykar Akinci, the Baykar corporate logo and the flag of Türkiye.
9. In August, 2023 Baykar announced a very high-profile agreement for research & development within NASTP. Present were Baykar Board Chairman, Selçuk Bayraktar and Pakistan Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif.
baykartech.com
baykartech.com
10. Turkish Air Force Commander General Ziya Cemal Kadioğlu inspects the mystery drone being assembled at NASTP. This offers a good view of the wing mounts and complicated fuselage construction.
11. Thus, a drone assembled in Pakistan, in collaboration with Türkiye, was sent to Ukraine, filled with explosives and then flown into Russia. One can consider the geopolitical implications. As a complication, Baykar is also working with Ukraine.
ukrinform.net
ukrinform.net
12. Russia claimed to have brought this drone down but perhaps not. The engine does not have a generator and the exhaust is very dirty. We have seen these before. If the battery supplying the ignition runs low, the engine will misfire and lose power.
13. One more interesting detail is the large letter "B" painted on the tail. These markings have appeared only recently on Ukrainian drones.
14.There are similar markings on a drone that crashed into the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery located deep in Russia. Was the mystery drone also intended for a similar target? If so, the drone may have needed a better battery.
15. It would be helpful if NASTP and Baykar would supply a name for their drone. Also, its construction is very strange. The wing and tail are a conventional design but the fuselage is built more like a very expensive missile.
16. This is a very curious drone. If you enjoyed this thread please consider reposting as a quote: your comments are appreciated.
Loading suggestions...