Luch Korsar
OKB Luch (Ruselectronics, Rostec) · Russia · first flew 2015 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Korsar is a medium-weight Russian unmanned aerial vehicle developed by OKB Luch, part of Ruselectronics and Rostec, for reconnaissance, strike and electronic attack missions for the Russian Ground Forces and Navy.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Single piston engine driving a two-blade pusher propeller behind the fuselage |
| T — Tail | V-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Russian medium-weight UAV with twin tail booms joined by a V-tail
- Single piston engine driving a two-blade pusher propeller behind the fuselage
- Straight wing and boom layout much like the American RQ-7 Shadow
A twin-boom UAV with a V-tail and a single pusher propeller at the rear of the fuselage, a layout shared with the RQ-7 Shadow and the Bayraktar TB2. Its 6.5 m span makes it a small airframe, and there is no cockpit.
Specifications
- The Luch Korsar has a length of 4.2 m (14 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.5 m (21 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 150 km/h (93 mph).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
OKB Luch began work on the Korsar in 2009 and flight testing started in 2015. It was shown for the first time at the Moscow Victory Day Parade on 9 May 2018, when serial production was being set up. In 2020 Rostec said it would be upgraded with a longer radius of operation and electronic warfare equipment.
Variants
The Korsar is the serial variant. The Korsar-M is the seaborne version for the Russian Navy.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the Russian Ground Forces, with the Korsar-M intended for the Navy. Russian sources report its use in Syria, and one was reported lost in Ukraine in November 2022. It is regarded as an improved analogue of the American RQ-7 Shadow.
Related aircraft
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