The export version of the Russian combat tested Forpost unmanned aerial vehicle system to be presented for the first time abroad — the world premiere of Forpost-RE is planned as part of the joint Russian exposition at the International Defence Exhibition IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi (UAE), February 17-21. The information is provided by the official representative of The Ural Works of Civil Aviation (JSC UWCA) that manufactures the UAV.
The Forpost-RE medium-range unmanned aerial vehicle is designed to perform reconnaissance and strike missions in a wide range of climatic and geographical conditions (at temperatures from -40 °C to +50 °C), including conducting round-the-clock aerial reconnaissance of ground or sea surface targets and striking them. Guided and unguided aerial bombs and missiles up to 40 kg are used as aerial weapons. The UAV is equipped with an automatic takeoff and landing system, which ensures the drone’s landing approach using laser radiation, as well as video monitoring of the runway. The system allows landing in the absence of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals.
Forpost system is a pioneer in the line of Russian UAVs of the airfield-based aircraft type UAVs which has passed all tests and is being supplied to the troops in series. Thanks to the Forpost project, the Russian Ministry of Defence was able to adopt a new type of equipment at that time — a medium airfield-based UAV, and gain the necessary experience in terms of unmanned vehicles, and the industry mastered a new direction and created a new in-demand product.
The system is currently completely Russian — a good example of import substitution and development of technologies that were new to Russia: more than 10 years ago, the Israeli Searcher UAV was localized, but much time has passed since then and only the basic airframe lines remain from the first version — the created Forpost-R UAV system has become an absolutely new and already Russian vehicle – all imported components, key units, control, communication and navigation systems have been replaced. The Forpost UAV system has been significantly modernized since the start of serial production. New payloads have significantly expanded the scope of application of the system. The payload includes replaceable modules with a thermal imaging camera, a color video camera on a gyrostabilized rotating platform, a photo camera, and other equipment.
“The market volume for medium-range UAVs is huge, we can occupy a certain niche in it, including by virtue of states that, for political reasons, differentiate their purchases of equipment rather than focusing on one supplier country. The practice of the Special Military Operation has shown that strike capabilities of drones of this class are limited and not particularly required; the capabilities of targeting, reconnaissance and loitering vast areas (coastlines, borders, etc.) are much more important. The competitive advantage of the Russian Forpost-RE drone is its absolute protection from sanctions thanks to components, all of which are Russian-made, and many years of successful experience obtained in real combat zones including the Middle East region. Upon the request of foreign customers, specialists of JSC UWCA are ready to equip the system with new payloads of interest to the buyer“ — notes the official representative of JSC UWCA.
Famous unmanned aerial systems expert Denis Fedutinov believes that Russian Forpost-type UAVs may be of interest to the Persian Gulf countries, since these countries do not really need the functionality of expensive US heavy drones, which were previously in favor in the region. According to him, many of the existing military tasks can be solved by using smaller vehicles, which have a lower cost of the system itself and lower operating costs. The analyst cites the significant experience of combat use of these unmanned systems as one of the main advantages of the Forpost system compared to competing foreign items.
“The strict requirements of the Russian military operators force developers to initially ensure the applicability of their systems in a wide range of temperatures, as well as in unfavorable conditions, including high humidity, dust, etc. Forpost systems have already been successfully deployed by the Russian Armed Forces in a geographically close region — in Syria. The Russian system has been used in significantly more severe conditions in terms of combat activity, as well as enemy counteraction, than those in which the US, Israeli, Chinese or Turkish drones previously operated in the Middle East, in North and Central Africa“ — Fedutinov commented.
JSC UWCA is a Russian aircraft manufacturing company specializing in the development, production, testing, repair and maintenance of aircraft equipment, assemblies and components.
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