Russia is developing an unmanned hovercraft capable of landing on water. The prototype is now operational and ready to begin testing,
Newsweek, citing a report in Russia's Itar-Tass, said Russian electronics company Rostec will conduct the tests. The company played a part n developing and building the prototype, which is one-fifth the size of the planned final product.
The UAV is called Chirok, Russian for "duckling," according to the report. A Rostec spokesman said the vehicle will be ready for mass production by 2016.
The Chirok, developed primarily by the Moscow Radio Engineering Research Institute, is designed to be dual-purpose, according to an article on Rostec's own website.
Its civilian use is to monitor the ground or water surface, and for cargo transport. But the military also will be able to use it, for reconnaissance and as an unmanned combat aircraft.
The specifications, according to the reports:
- Wingspan: 10 meters.
- Weight: 330 kilograms.
- Ceiling: Six kilometers.
- Payload: More than twice its own weight; payload might include "rockets and bombs," according to the report.
Russia's Ministry of Defense is one of the projects biggest supporters, but there has been no information provided about how many of the planes the military has ordered, according to Newsweek.
