S-76 cargo drone: UAC unveils new unmanned aerial vehicle for civilian and military applications in remote areas

During the first day of the Army-2024 International Military-Technical Forum, which is being held August 12-14, 2024 at Kubinka Air Base, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC or OAK, in Russian) presented a full-scale model of the S-76, a vertical take-off and landing unmanned transport system with multiple civilian and military applications.

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Developed by the Sukhoi design bureau (part of UAC), the S-76 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to meet a market demand for a more economical way to transport medium and small volume cargo by air.

«UAC’s unmanned platform will make it possible to deliver loads of up to 300 kg over a distance of up to 500 km and can offer new logistical opportunities, mainly in areas that are difficult to access. The vehicle does not require specially prepared sites or airfield infrastructure. In other words, it is a convenient, fast and efficient means of transportation,» said Vladimir Artyakov, Deputy Director General of Rostec State Corporation.

The project is aimed at meeting the requirements of public entities and private transport service companies, being a dual-use technological development (civil and military). The drone will be able to perform logistic tasks, research, transport of goods, etc., even in the most difficult to access places.

According to UAC, the S-76 project will make it possible to deploy automated unmanned transport systems in Russia, thanks to which it will be possible to carry out air cargo transports much more economically and with minimal human intervention. Takeoff, en route flight and landing will be fully automatic, without direct operator intervention.

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S-76 system characteristics

The S-76 is a system that includes a fleet of unmanned aircrafts, a single operational control center that integrates UAVs into a single airspace and interacts with end customers, as well as ground infrastructures and landing zones.

Initially, two UAV models are being developed that will make up the S-76 family:

• The large S-76, which will be capable of carrying payloads up to 300 kg over a maximum distance of 1,000 km.
• The small S-76, which will be able to carry loads of up to 50 kg over a distance of 400 km.

The S-76 project is currently in the phase of testing key technologies and basic technical solutions, having passed the first experimental flight phase to practice vertical takeoff, hovering and landing modes.