The Russian company Kronstadt is developing unmanned aerial vehicles with an air launch that can return to the carrier aircraft, Sergey Bogatikov, general director of the Kronshtadt company, said in an interview with RIA Novosti on the eve of the Army-2021 forum.
“Yes, we are working on such an option,” Bogatikov said, answering a question about creating a system for returning drones from the Molniya system to a carrier plane.
Kronstadt is developing the Molniya group-use unmanned complex. The Il-76 heavy military transport aircraft is considered as one of the basic drone carriers of the system.
The drones can be used from combat and military transport aircraft, with external and internal suspensions, including from cargo compartments. The Su-57 is expected to carry up to eight such drones in the fuselage compartments. Even the UCAV like Orion can carry these drones.