Orion / Inokhodets
Class III / Group 4–5 — the top of the classification scale
A Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) system developed by Kronshtadt since 2011. Unlike the small platforms elsewhere in this library, this system requires a fixed runway and substantial logistical support.
Learn more in the Drone Academy →Dimensionsfor imagery analysis
- Drone (L × span)
- 8.0 × 16.0 m, height 2.0 m
- Max. take-off weight
- 1,000 kg (payload 200 kg)
- Dimension source
- US Army TRADOC Worldwide Equipment Guide (ODIN)
Key data
- Weight
- ~1,000 kg MTOW
- Altitude
- up to ~8,000 m (~26,000 ft)
- Endurance
- up to 24 h
- Payload
- up to 200 kg — 4 guided bombs/missiles
Relevance
- Classification
- An example of NATO Class III / DoD Group 4–5 — see the NATO UAS Classification reference card
- Role
- ISR and armed strike (UCAV)
- S8000 Banderol (Aug. 2026 update)
- Until mid-2026 the only confirmed launch platform (max. 1 at a time) for this cruise missile/loitering munition; Russia has now also confirmed a ground-based launcher and the Mi-28 attack helicopter as launch platforms — Orion launches are therefore no longer a unique early-warning indicator of Banderol use. Source: Militarnyi/Euromaidan Press/DIU, RU Mil Tracker
News archive 2
Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.
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Ukrainian Mirage 2000-5F downs Russian S8000 Banderol cruise missile with its cannon for the first time
Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reported on 2 October that a Ukrainian Air Force Mirage 2000-5F has for the first time shot down a Russian S8000 Banderol small cruise missile with its cannon. The report does not give the date or location of the interception; the claim comes from the Ukrainian side and has not been independently verified. France transferred Mira…
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Russia's Dan-T munition blurs line between UAVs, cruise missiles — Rostec claims S-71M, S-71K and Dan-T jet drones form a new drone-missile class
Russian state corporation Rostec, in comments to the Defence Ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (30 September) and to TASS, claims that three of its newest jet-powered strike drones — the S-71M, S-71K and Dan-T — form a new category between attack drones and cruise missiles. Rostec's reasoning: a classic cruise missile is already a fixed-wing UAV, but not e…