The work on the Altius heavy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a combat load of up to two tons is planned to be completed within a year, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the information today through its Facebook page.

Altius MALE UAV
(Credit: Russian Defense Ministry)

Borisov made this statement in an interview available on the Zvezda TV channel’s website.

"I believe that we will complete the work on the Altius heavy unmanned aerial vehicle with a combat load of up to two tons within a year," Borisov said.

According to him, the Russian Armed Forces "have unmanned aerial vehicles being at different stages, as a rule, at final ones, which will make up the mainstay of the UAV fleet in the imminent future."

"I mean reconnaissance, attack and electronic warfare systems with a payload ranging between several kilograms and two tons," he added.
A test model of the Altius long-endurance reconnaissance UAV was unveiled at the Army 2015 international military and technical forum.