A drone aircraft carrier has been built in Russia based on patents from a Soviet designer.

To create the new drone, engineers utilized a combustion engine based on the crankshaft-less design developed by the Soviet designer Sergey Balandin. This engine is distinct from traditional crank-and-rod engines due to its unique mechanism for transmitting motion from the pistons to the crankshaft, resulting in a more compact size, higher specific power output, and greater simplicity in construction, which reduces manufacturing labor by two to three times.

With the piston engine, the aircraft, built on the Mi-30 convertiplane platform, will have the capability to fly distances of up to 200 kilometers. It can be used to deploy drones behind enemy lines.

Full-scale testing of the new drone aircraft carrier will commence in February 2025.