RKC Foton-601

Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) Drone

Russia | 2024

"The Foton-601 ISR Unmanned Aircraft System was unveiled in Russia at Army-2022 as an all-modern ISR drone solution."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/19/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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During the Russian Ministry of Defense's "Army-2022" expo of August 2022, state corporation Progress Rocket and Space Center (RKC) unveil a new all-weather, fixed-wing drone design - the "Foton-601". The 127lb system is being developed for the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) and its broad, tactical-level mission roles are centered on video monitoring, data collection, artillery spotting / correction, and laser designation of ground targets for networked allied units.

Outwardly, the drone is of largely conventional configuration. The fuselage is slab-sided and houses all pertinent operating systems, including engine and fuel, as well as avionics and the optics set. The straight mainplanes are seated at the shoulder and the tail unit incorporates a single horizontal plane with three (two outboard, one centerline) ventral vertical surfaces. At the nose is featured a simple two-bladed propeller unit for propulsion.

Released details include an endurance window of up to 24 hours, reaching out to ranges of 620 miles, utilizing a conventional engine feeding from its onboard 12-liter fuel tank. The powerplant and general design arrangement allow the air vehicle to exceed speeds of 95 miles-per-hour and cruise at 75 mph. Dimensions of the drone include a 16-foot wingspan.

It is not yet known when the Foton-601 will be adopted into Russian military service (if ever) but the country's invasion of neighboring Ukraine has revealed a noticeable shortcoming of the Army when it comes to drone applications on the modern digital-centric battlefield.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the RKC Foton-601 Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) Drone.

1 x Conventional engine of unknown make, model, and output power driving two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

93 mph
150 kph | 81 kts
Max Speed

75 mph
120 kph | 65 kts
Cruise Speed

621 miles
1,000 km | 540 nm
Operational Range

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the RKC Foton-601 Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) Drone.

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

16.4 ft
(5.00 m)
O/A Width

128 lb
(58 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the RKC Foton-601 Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) Drone .

None. Mission payload reserved for the ISR role.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the RKC Foton-601 family line.

Foton-601 - Base Series Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the RKC Foton-601. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 5 Units
Contractor(s): Progress Rocket and Space Center (RKC) - Russia

[ Russia (probable) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 100mph

Lo: 50mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (93mph).

Graph Average of 75 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Production Comparison

5

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

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Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT

SEARCH & RESCUE

RECONNAISSANCE

X-PLANE

UNMANNED

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The RKC Foton-601 Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) Drone appears in the following collections:

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