Russian heavy combat UAV Altius tests its weapons in action

The Russian heavy attack unmanned aerial vehicle Altius tested its arms system in action for the first time, a source in the military-industrial complex told RIA Novosti.

During flight tests that were held at one of the military ranges, the Altius UAV conducted a bomb attack on ground targets. This summer, the Altius is to carry out "a series of attacks with the use of  small bombs and missiles on targets of various types, the source said. 

The Altius UAV uses the universal arms, including free-falling guided small-caliber bombs, as well as guided missiles, similar to the arms used for the Inokhodets UAV. 

In February, it was reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense signed a contract for the purchase of the first batch of Altius UAVs.

In August 2019, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov said that the Altiuses would be a Russian response to the US strategic reconnaissance UAVs RQ-4 Global Hawk that conduct regular flights near Crimea.

According to open data, the Altius UAV weighs about six tons, whereas its missile and bomb weapons may add up to two more tons to its weight.