Russia Engages Orion Drones To Counter Naval Drones

Russia announced the destruction of a Ukrainian naval drone by a guided missile launched by an Orion reconnaissance and strike drone.

Russian propaganda media published footage of the destruction.

The drone, which was immobilized under unknown circumstances, was hit in the Black Sea by a Kh-BPLA laser-guided missile.

The video shows the moment of impact in a reticle with an interface typical of Orions, where the missile hits at the opposite angle, which may indicate a launch from the other side — probably a second drone.

Previously, the activity of these rather rare drones was noticed in the Kursk region. Their deployment to Crimea may be a response to the emergence of Ukrainian naval drones with anti-aircraft guns on board, which have made helicopter interceptions risky.

The use of medium-altitude drones should completely neutralize the new threat. In addition, the Orion drones effectively close the reconnaissance and strike loop, as they can independently search for and destroy identified targets.

The drones can stay in the air for up to 24 hours and perform operations within a radius of 250 kilometers, which makes them effective in patrolling maritime areas and being on duty in case of threats.

However, this is not the first time the Orion drones have been used against Ukrainian drones: a similar episode was already covered by the Russians in September 2024.

A means to defeat surface targets

The Kh-BPLA missile was developed on the basis of the Kornet anti-tank guided missile and the Krasnopol laser-guided artillery shell specifically for use as part of unmanned aerial systems against ground and surface targets.

The Kh-BPLA missile inherits its primary design features from the 9M133 Kornet-D anti-tank missile but is heavier, weighing 32 kilograms compared to the Kornet-D’s 26 kilograms. Despite the weight increase, the interchangeable warhead’s weight remains similar, with the high-explosive version weighing 6 kilograms, and the thermobaric warhead weighing 3.2 kilograms.

The missile uses a reflected laser beam for guidance, where the drone illuminates the target until impact. This guidance system allows the missile to hit targets at a distance of up to 8 kilometers and an altitude of up to 4,000 meters. Apparently, the guidance module located in the nose of the missile is likely derived from the Krasnopol artillery system, which uses the same guidance method.

The development of the aviation version of the Kornet-D missile was first reported in 2021, with Russian media releasing footage of test launches from the Orion reconnaissance and strike drone. It was also reported that the missile had been tested with the Forpost UAV and the Ka-52M attack helicopter.