On October 20, 2024, Ukrainian paratroopers successfully downed a Russian Orion drone in the Kursk oblast. This incident involved the 80th Separate Galician Air Assault Brigade, a unit within the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, which managed to bring down the advanced reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using the Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system. The operation was notable due to the Orion UAV’s capabilities, including aerial reconnaissance and its armament potential with four air-to-ground missiles, making it a significant threat to ground targets.

The paratroopers highlighted the danger posed by the Orion, specifically its ability to conduct reconnaissance and strike missions, supported by its considerable payload capacity and advanced weaponry such as the Kh-50 guided missiles and KAB-20 bombs. According to footage and reports, the downed Orion was equipped with Kh-BPLA missiles, an aviation adaptation of the Kornet anti-tank missile system, capable of targeting even heavily armored vehicles. This development mirrors a previous incident in 2022 when Ukrainian forces similarly achieved the downing of an Orion UAV. Reports of the event were disseminated by sources like Militarnyi and corroborated by video evidence released by

ملخص الأخبار

• أقصى وزن إقلاع لطائرة أوريون يصل إلى حوالي طن واحد، ومدة الطيران القصوى تبلغ 30 ساعة على ارتفاع 8000 متر.
• الطائرة يمكنها حمل حمولة تصل إلى 200 كيلوغرام، وتضم أسلحة موجهة مثل صواريخ Kh-50 وقنابل KAB-20.
• تضم أوريون مجموعة من أنظمة الاستطلاع الجوي الراداري وقد تم تزويد الطائرة بصواريخ Kh-BPLA التي تعد نسخة جوية من نظام الكورنيت المضاد للدبابات.
• في 2022، نجحت الدفاعات الجوية الأوكرانية في إسقاط طائرة أوريون روسية مماثلة.