Russia Deploys Orlan Drones as FPV Quadcopter Carriers

Russian forces have begun deploying medium-range Orlan reconnaissance drones as flying carriers by mounting first-person-view (FPV) quadcopters under their wings. Serhii Beskrestnov, a drone advisor to the Ukrainian defense ministry, reported that the reusable fixed-wing system has already dropped at least one FPV drone during operations.

This tactic allows the Orlan drone to serve as both a delivery mechanism and a signal relay, potentially extending the operational reach of tactical quadcopters. While Russian forces have previously used loitering munitions such as Shahed, Gerbera, and Molniya to carry FPVs, Beskrestnov stated that these techniques have not yet been widely or consistently deployed. Ukraine has similarly experimented with relay drones to facilitate deeper FPV strikes.