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Russia has unveiled the “Predator,” a high-altitude drone capable of reaching 15 kilometers, designed to provide persistent surveillance and real-time targeting for the Oreshnik hypersonic missile system. Experts warn NATO allies as the drone can operate beyond most air defense systems, including Arrow and Patriot, and may partially replace space-based reconnaissance. The Predator integrates advanced AI and 3D scanning technology, marking a major leap in Russian military capability and near-space operations.
00:00Russia has announced the development of a revolutionary new unmanned platform called
00:11Predator, capable of reaching altitudes of up to 15 kilometers, placing it firmly in the
00:18stratosphere and beyond the range of most conventional air defense systems.
00:23The Predator is being developed by Geron, with Vladimir Tabanov, the company's CEO,
00:28unveiling the project to Russia's TASS news agency.
00:34Unlike traditional reconnaissance drones that operate at lower altitudes, the Predator
00:38represents a fundamental shift in Russian drone strategy.
00:43By operating at 15,000 meters, nearly the ceiling of most NATO fighter aircraft, the platform
00:49can achieve persistent surveillance over vast areas while remaining largely invulnerable
00:54to conventional air defense systems currently deployed across Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
01:01The drone is designed to be multifunctional, with applications spanning military, commercial
01:06and scientific domains.
01:09However, the military implications are staggering.
01:11The Predator is explicitly intended to partially replace certain functions of satellite and
01:18ground-based systems, meaning Russia is essentially creating an alternative to expensive space-based
01:24surveillance infrastructure.
01:27The Predator's specifications reveal a platform of unprecedented sophistication for unmanned operations
01:34at extreme altitudes.
01:39The drone can reach a maximum altitude of 15,000 meters, nearly 50,000 feet, placing it well
01:46above the operational ceiling of most NATO fighter aircraft and most conventional air defense systems.
01:52At this altitude, the Predator is equipped to achieve maximum speeds of 550 kilometers per hour, translating
01:59to roughly 342 miles per hour, allowing rapid deployment and repositioning across contested airspace.
02:09The range capability is extraordinary.
02:12The Predator can operate for distances up to 12,000 kilometers, meaning it could theoretically
02:18be launched from Moscow and reach any NATO capital London, Berlin, Brussels, conduct extended
02:24surveillance missions and return without requiring mid-air refueling.
02:32The payload capacity of 500 kilograms is substantial for a platform operating at such extreme altitudes.
02:39This means the Predator can carry advanced sensor suites capable of imaging facilities from 15 kilometers up.
02:47The monoplane design is critical to achieving these performance parameters.
02:52Unlike conventional winged aircraft, monoplane technology allows the Predator to achieve higher speeds,
02:58carry larger payloads, and maintain significantly reduced radar detectability – all essential
03:05capabilities for penetrating contested airspace where NATO's Patriot and HIMARS air defense systems operate.
03:13The Predator also features vertical takeoff and landing capabilities,
03:17meaning it doesn't require conventional airfields or prepared launch zones.
03:24What distinguishes the Predator from existing high-altitude UAVs is its integration of advanced
03:30artificial intelligence systems and 3D spatial scanning capabilities – technologies that
03:35represent a quantum leap in autonomous warfare. Vladimir Tabunov stated,
03:40The development of the Predator incorporates solutions that, in our assessment, will produce significant
03:53technological impact on scientific and technical progress and addressing tasks related to near-space
04:00exploration.
04:01This language is significant. Near-space exploration is military jargon for operations at the boundary
04:09between the atmosphere and space – altitudes where satellites typically operate.
04:14By developing a platform capable of near-space operations, Russia is essentially creating
04:19a manned sortie alternative to expensive satellite constellations.
04:25The critical integration point emerges when the Predator's reconnaissance capabilities
04:30combine with Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile system.
04:35On January 9, 2026, just a few days before the Predator announcement,
04:41Russia unleashed the Oreshnik against the Ukrainian city of Lviv near the Polish border.
04:46The second combat deployment of this intermediate-range ballistic missile,
04:51capable of travelling at speeds exceeding Mach 10 and carrying six independently targetable warheads.
04:58The Oreshnik, which Moscow claims can penetrate any NATO air defence system due to its hypersonic
05:04velocity and multiple re-entry vehicle configuration, requires precisely the kind of high-altitude,
05:10persistent, AI-enabled surveillance that the Predator provides.
05:16By unveiling the Predator immediately after the Oreshnik strikes, Russia is coordinating a
05:22comprehensive military messaging campaign. The Predator would provide persistent reconnaissance
05:28and real-time targeting intelligence for the Oreshnik's devastating strikes, creating an
05:33integrated weapon system that combines high-altitude surveillance with hypersonic precision strike capability.
05:39This pairing, the eye in the sky coupled with an unstoppable strike weapon, represents a fundamental escalation in Russian military capability.
05:51For Ukraine's allies in the West, the Predator-Oreshnik integration represents a troubling development.
05:58A platform that can operate above most conventional air defence systems, provide real-time targeting intelligence to Russian forces in support of hypersonic strikes and, through the Oreshnik system, deliver precision strikes across continental distances.
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