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Russia Retrofits Its Orion Predator-Like Drone With Laser-Guided Missiles
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Russia has introduced a new strike-capable version of its Orion unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), now armed with Kh-BPLA laser-guided missiles.
The upgraded configuration was presented with two newly developed munitions designed specifically for lightweight aerial platforms, Defence Blog reported.
According to Defence Blog, the Kh-BPLA missile was developed by the Instrument Design Bureau (KBP), part of the High-Precision Systems holding under Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec.
The missile incorporates components from two existing Russian systems: the Kornet anti-tank missile and the Krasnopol laser-guided artillery shell. This approach was reportedly chosen to reduce production costs and accelerate deployment.
The Kh-BPLA features semi-active laser guidance and is compatible with airborne or ground-based target designators. The missile has an effective range of 2 to 8 kilometers and can be launched from an altitude of up to 4 kilometers. It is equipped with a 6 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead, with approximately 3.2 kg of explosive filler.
Weighing 32 kg without the launch container and 42 kg with it, the Kh-BPLA is intended for precision strikes on soft targets, including personnel, unarmored vehicles, and lightly fortified positions. Its integration expands the Orion’s operational role from intelligence and surveillance to more active strike missions.
The Orion UAV, developed by the Kronstadt Group, has previously been deployed by Russian forces in Syria and Ukraine for reconnaissance and limited strike roles.
According to Defence Blog, the addition of the Kh-BPLA marks a shift toward more versatile combat applications, enabling the drone to deliver guided munitions while maintaining a safe distance from short-range air defense systems.
Earlier on September 13, Ukraine’s 414th “Topot” unit from Madyar’s Birds Brigade shot down a Russian Orion UAV, marking the first confirmed destruction of the platform in flight. The latest strike on November 13 extended that effort by targeting the drone’s support infrastructure at the Kirovske airfield, according to Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi.
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