Russian Army to get prospective stratospheric reconnaissance and strike complex

The Russian army will receive a prospective stratospheric reconnaissance and strike complex, the Izvestia newspaper reports with reference to sources in the defence complex.

Engineers already started developing the stratospheric complex, the newspaper said. The complex will be able to carry a modular payload, in particular, suspended containers with radars, electronic reconnaissance systems and optical-electronic stations.

The prospective stratospheric complex will be used to detect real-time targets on the battlefield and in the rear. It will also be able to designate targets for their subsequent destruction by high-precision weapons, aviation and naval forces.

The equipment of the complex will include suspended containers created as part of the Sych development work. They are currently being tested on the M-55 Geophysics high-altitude aircraft.

According to military expert Dmitry Kornev, the stratospheric complex is needed primarily for the ground forces, in particular, for Smerch and Tornado-S MLRS crews, as well as for Iskander missile brigades. The complex will also be able to transmit information to crews of Su-34 and Su-34M bomber aircraft. In addition, the new system will increase the efficiency of using MiG-31 aircraft armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, as well as sea and land cruise missiles.

In January 2020, the Izvestia newspaper wrote citing sources at the Defence Ministry that the Russian Aerospace Forces would receive the upgraded Su-34 aircraft by 2027. The new aircraft will carry the NVO index (New Opportunities). The aircraft will be upgraded on the basis of combat experience in Syria. The aircraft will be equipped with universal reconnaissance containers. The reconnaissance containers (there are three options of them — radio-technical UKR-RT, optical-electronic UKR-OE and radar container UKR-RL) will considerably enhance capabilities of the Su-34 NVO to detect ground and air targets.