Ukraine has intercepted and destroyed a rare Russian reconnaissance drone Tax-450Mwhich is used for deep surveillance and to direct missile strikes with Iskander.
according to Defence Blog was the information shared by Wild Hornetsa Ukrainian organization/company that develops interceptor drones. According to them, the interception was carried out by operatives of the unit STRIX.
“Operators from STRIXunit destroyed a rare drone equipped with optical and thermal imaging systems used for deep aerial reconnaissance and to guide Iskander strikes. Over the course of the war, only 10 to 20 of these UAVs have been destroyed,” the company said.
Tax-family of drones used by Russian forces for aerial reconnaissance and surveillance missions. The platform is equipped with optical and thermal imaging systems and is designed to detect and track targets in various conditions, including low visibility and night operations.
This type of UAV plays an important role in enabling long-range attack systems. By identifying targets and transmitting coordinates, reconnaissance drones such as Tax support precision strikes with missile systems such as Iskanderincreasing their effectiveness against both fixed and moving targets.
The platform is described as having an unconventional airframe design, including a wing configuration designed to reduce radar visibility while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency.
The drone’s structure also minimizes protruding components, which reduces the risk of damage during landing, including during parachute recovery. It is designed to operate in a wide temperature range from -45 °C to 45 °C, making it possible to use it in different climates.
More detailed open sources about Tax-450M and its variants are still quite limited. It is considered to be one of the least documented reconnaissance systems in Russian service.
The reported use of Tax-450M to lead Iskander-attack, however, makes it a high-value target. Disrupting such systems can reduce the effectiveness of long-range missile strikes by degrading the quality and timeliness of target designation.
Photo: Wild Hornets. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editors.
