First Russian strike UAV to be showcased at Moscow air show

Lutch, Russia's first unmanned air vehicle (UAV) designed to carry out air strikes, will be shown at the Moscow air show next week, according to its producer, Vega. "Vega will show a full-scale mock-up of the Lutch medium-range UAV at MAKS 2011," a Vega representative said. "Lutch is designed for optical reconnaissance, radar, radio-relay and electronic reconnaissance missions," he added. Lutch can also carry guided weapons on fuselage pylons or in a fuselage weapons bay. "Up to 150-170 kilograms of ammunition and weapons control systems can be carried," Vega said. Based on the Sigma 5 piloted aircraft, Lutch has a 250-350-kilometer surveillance range, which can be augmented to 500 kilometers, and an endurance of no less than 18 hours, which can be increased with extra fuel supplies to 30 hours. With 800 kilograms of maximum take-off weight (MTOW) it flies at speeds of up to 270 kilometers per hour.