Modern warfare is about new challenges and new solutions. Russia’s war against Ukraine has shown that the face of war has changed. Now it is UAVs that play the main role in it. Without them reconnaissance is impossible, it is impossible to attack and defend. The more UAVs, the more successful are the military actions on the front line. This is very well understood by the leaders of the AFU and our Western partners. Today we will get acquainted with the ultra-modern Primoco One 150 reconnaissance UAV, which was developed and manufactured by the Czech company Primoco UAV.
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What’s interesting about the Primoco One 150 UAV
The Primoco One 150 is a fully autonomous medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and manufactured by Primoco UAV for civilian and military surveillance operations. Primoco UAV is a vehicle manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Primoco UAV SE has been developing unmanned aerial systems since the first half of the last decade. In 2015, it presented its first development – the One 100 medium-class aircraft with a takeoff weight of 100 kg. Since 2016, the second model, the Primoco One 150, has been in series production.
Primoco One series products are airplane-type UAVs with the ability to install a variety of payloads.
The UAV complies with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) and STANAG 4703 requirements. SORA is a risk assessment standard for UAVs. In 2020, the company was approved as a development and production organization under the latest European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMAR) standard 21. The drone is designed for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. In September 2020, the drone successfully conducted its first flight test for military use.
Primoco UAV and Swiss company UMS Skeldar have formed a joint production facility to create a combination of Primoco One 150 fixed wing and V-150 UMS Skeldar for select customers. As a reminder, the V-150 UMS Skeldar is an advanced rotary vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed by UMS Skeldar to support tactical missions.
Unveiled in November 2021, the development surprised everyone. Two UAVs can now be controlled by a single ground control system, as both UAVs share a common link. This was truly a breakthrough in this field. Such different and yet similar UAVs now became one and the same. But back to the hero of our article.
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Primoco One 150 UAV testing
The military version of the Primoco One 150M UAV underwent its first successful flight test on September 30, 2020. The UAV was checked for compliance with military standards in the presence of representatives of the Department of Supervision of Military Aviation of the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic and the Military Technical Institute of Aviation and Air Defense.
A civilian version of the Primoco One 150 UAV was tested by Primoco UAV and the Czech Army at the Libava military range earlier in the month. The test focused on evaluating the performance of combat communications systems and optical reconnaissance sensors. The test proved the Primoco One 150 UAV’s ability to operate as a vital part of the manned network concept, allowing the Czech Army to deploy a secure communications system in a variety of areas, including challenging terrain.
The company states that each UAV is unique and custom-made for a specific client, taking into account the exact requirements and specifics of the intended use. That is, they can customize the drone directly to the task for which it was ordered: it can be work in agriculture, industry, energy, telecommunications, surveying, searching for missing persons and the like. The UAV can have one or a combination of several functions: from recording and monitoring the terrain with a camera or camera, searching with an IR camera to the use of sophisticated sensors.
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Primoco One 150 UAV design and features
The Primoco One 150 drone has an all-composite body. The aircraft is designed to provide autonomous operation during takeoff, flight and landing. It is also capable of operating day and night in challenging weather conditions. The design provides versatility, meaning the aircraft can be customized to meet different customer requirements.
The airframe of the vehicle is built according to the double beam scheme: two tube-beams with tail fins are attached to the streamlined fuselage, accommodating all the units. Used a high-lying straight wing with developed mechanization on the trailing edge. Plumage – H-shaped. The unit is made collapsible, for transportation it is stowed in a special container less than 3 m long.
The platform can be transported in a container with a length of 2.9 m, width of 1.2 m and depth of 1 m. That is, it can be easily transported both by land and air.
The UAV has a maximum takeoff weight of 150 kg, of which 50 kg is the payload. Its length is 3.65 m, height is 1.25 m, and wingspan is 4.85 m. The payload capacity is 30 kg of mixed payload.
The drone’s ability to take off from 300m runways allows customers to fly missions from remote locations. The Primoco One 150 is characterized by easy maintenance and low operating costs.
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Primoco One 150 UAV communication systems and sensors
The Primoco One 150M can be equipped with military communications and electro-optical reconnaissance systems. It contains a radio from L3Harris and ANW2C data links from Persistent Systems.
The drone is also equipped with Epsilon 180 Full HD electro-optical (EO)/mid-wave infrared (MWIR) surveillance, an SD thermal imaging channel in the MWIR band and a laser rangefinder. The thermal imager provides quality reconnaissance at night. The EO/IR system utilizes autonomous technology to automatically track objects. The aircraft uses a 5-6 GHz radio data link or Inmarsat satellite communications. It can be integrated with Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and other customized sensors.
The remotely piloted aircraft can be equipped with a TK-7 optical multispectral sensor to enable autonomous search and assessment of ground targets.
The Primoco One 150 UAV is integrated with NSP-3, NSP-5 and NSP-7 synthetic aperture radars mounted on the left side of the fuselage to detect targets and objects of interest in low-visibility areas and determine target speeds in both land and sea modes.
The PT-8 and PT-8N automatic optical scanning systems are provided as additional sensors to locate ships as well as objects and people on the water surface. The NSP-7 radar has various scanning modes, including Ku-band mode, moving target indication (GMTI), searchlight and coherent change detection (CCD).
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The Primoco One 150 is equipped with a Glonass/Galileo/Beidou/GPS global positioning system. The onboard inertial unit acts as an independent navigation system.
The UAV has a full automatic dependent surveillance and broadcast (ADSB) transponder for entry/exit and an Identification Friendly Function (IFF) in up to 5 objects mode. This equipment improves the coordination of unmanned and manned objects in the airspace.
Primoco One 150 is equipped with a VECTOR autopilot system, a 900 MHz TELEM5 data link, a GCS03 ground control station, and a mission planning program and VisionAir interface.
The aircraft can be remotely controlled all the way from takeoff to landing. It is equipped with an emergency parachute for landing in case of failure.
Navigation is accomplished using multiple satellite systems. Depending on the customer’s requirements, communication with the operator can be maintained by direct radio link or by satellite communication. In all cases, the transmission of commands, telemetry, video, etc. is ensured.
Under the nose of the fuselage there is a place for suspension of an optoelectronic station. Various types of systems with day, night and rangefinder channels can be used, corresponding to the UAV’s payload capacity. Additional volumes for other payloads inside the fuselage are also provided. With the installed devices, the Primoco One 150 can conduct reconnaissance, monitoring and the like. The design does not provide for standard methods of suspension and use of weapons.
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Primoco One 150 UAV engine
The drone is powered by its own 50 hp Primoco 340 four-stroke four-cylinder piston engine with fuel injection, which is located in the tail section of the fuselage. The air-cooled Primoco 340 engine weighs 15 kg and has a rated power output of 25 hp.
The UAV has an operational life of 15 hours and a maximum range of 2,000 km. Its operational ceiling is approximately 3,300 meters and its cruising speed is between 100 and 150 km/h.
Technical specifications of the Primoco One 150 UAV
- Wingspan: 4.85 m
- Length: 3.65 m
- Height: 1.25 m
- Maximum take-off weight: 150 kg
- Payload: 1 – 30 kg
- Maximum range: from GCS 200 km
- Maximum range: 2000 km
- Cruising speed: 100-150 km/h
- Flight duration: 15 hours
- Ceiling: 3300 m (FL 100)
- Runway length: 300 meters
- Navigation system: GPS/Glonass/Galileo/Beidou
- Air Traffic Control: Transporder S-Mode
- Communications: 5 – 6 GHz radio link or Inmarsat satellite link
- Equipment: standard HD/MWIR camera on gimbal, options – Lidar sensor, specialized sensors/needed payloads
When did Primoco One 150 appear in Ukraine and what mission do they fulfill?
In June 2022, the development company announced that it had received another order for the One 150 UAV. The contract called for the delivery of six aircraft and accessories worth a total of €3.3 million to an unnamed European buyer. Who exactly bought the Czech drones became known later.
Last November, Luxembourg officially announced the transfer of six Primoco One 150 UAVs to Ukraine. Apparently, it was the duchy that was the unnamed buyer, which received a batch of Czech drones. As it turned out, it bought the equipment not for its own needs, but for transfer to the Ukrainian armed forces.
No later than November-December 2022, Ukrainian operators started mastering new unmanned systems. Soon they appeared in the combat zone. And it has recently become known that in one of the aid packages such UAVs were handed over by Germany.
We know how our defenders do not like to brag about the successful use of modern developments. But the enemy has felt firsthand that our AFU has excellent intelligence. This shows that they are successfully using Primoco One 150 UAVs.
Now, under the conditions of tough battles with the occupiers, every precision projectile, every combat vehicle, every air defence system, every cruise missile, every drone is extremely necessary for us, which is why I would like to sincerely thank our Western friends and partners for their help and support. The invaders will never escape from retribution. Glory to Ukraine! Death to our enemies! Glory to the AFU!
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