Aircraft & UAVs

Eleron-3

Also known as
  • ENICS Eleron-3
  • Eleron-3SV
  • Eleron-3SW
  • Элерон-3
  • Элерон-3СВ
  • T-28

Eleron-3 is a Russian short-range reconnaissance UAV family built by ENICS for tactical optoelectronic surveillance. The Eleron-3SV military version is a compact electric flying-wing system launched from a starting unit and recovered by parachute, with Ukrainian and U.S. reference sources listing roughly 100 minutes of endurance, 70-130 km/h speed, and GPS/GLONASS navigation.

Eleron-3, Short-range reconnaissance UAV, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Wikimedia Eleron-3SV Image

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Russia
Built by
ENIKS JSC
Type
Short-range reconnaissance UAV
Service note
2010s-present
Designer
ENIKS JSC
Designed
Eleron-3SV accepted into Russian ground-forces service after 2012 state tests, according to Russian defense press.
Produced
2010s-present

Specifications

Role
Short-range reconnaissance and optoelectronic surveillance UAV
Maximum takeoff weight
5.5 kg declared in Ukraine GUR War & Sanctions profile; U.S. ODIN lists 5.3 kg for Eleron-3
Payload
Up to 1 kg
Speed
70-130 km/h
Endurance
Up to 100 minutes
Video link range
25 km
Maximum flight altitude
4,000 m
Launch and recovery
Starting unit launch; parachute landing
Navigation
GPS, GLONASS, and airborne course navigation
Powerplant
Electric motor
Operating temperature
-30 to +40 C
System Notes

The Eleron-3SV is a small electric reconnaissance system rather than a strike drone. Source-backed descriptions emphasize optoelectronic observation, target-coordinate reporting through GPS/GLONASS navigation, launch from a starting unit, and parachute recovery. Ukrainian conflict reporting treats the type as a Russian battlefield reconnaissance asset used by front-line formations, while component and sanctions databases connect the system to ENIKS JSC and Russian military procurement.

Variants

Public sources use Eleron-3 for the family and Eleron-3SV/Eleron-3SW for the military short-range reconnaissance version; Ukrainian GUR lists the current Eleron-3 profile with 5.5 kg takeoff weight and 1 kg payload.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Eleron-3SVMilitary short-range reconnaissance configuration

Russian defense press describes Eleron-3SV/T-28 as a close-range aerial reconnaissance system developed for Russian ground forces, with a flying-wing airframe and compact field kit.

Sources: Army Standard Eleron Family, War & Sanctions Eleron-3

Eleron-BExport variant

Russian-language reference coverage identifies Eleron-B as an export variant of the Eleron-3 UAV family.

Sources: Russian Wikipedia Eleron-3

Timeline

Eleron-3 Key Events

  1. Military variants complete state tests

    Russian defense press says the Eleron-3SV and larger Eleron-10SV completed state tests in 2012 and entered Russian ground-forces service.

    Sources: Army Standard Eleron Family

  2. Eleron-3SV documented in Syria

    Oryx reported an Eleron-3SV crash near Arafit in Latakia Governorate, placing the Russian reconnaissance UAV in the Syrian Civil War.

    Sources: Oryx Syria Eleron-3SV

  3. Transfers to Russian units reported in southern Ukraine

    Defense Express reported Atesh-sourced documents describing Eleron-3 transfers to Russian Dnepr grouping units operating in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia sectors.

    Sources: Defense Express Eleron-3 Transfers

  4. GUR War & Sanctions profile updated

    Ukraine's GUR War & Sanctions database listed Eleron-3 as a reconnaissance UAV and associated it with ENIKS JSC and declared technical characteristics.

    Sources: War & Sanctions Eleron-3

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Sources

War & Sanctions Eleron-3Publisher: Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine | Note: Supports Eleron-3 role, declared specifications, ENIKS-related company link, and direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War context for a Russian reconnaissance UAV in the War & Sanctions database. | Accessed: 2026-07-02ODIN Eleron-3Publisher: U.S. Army TRADOC ODIN | Note: Supports Eleron-3 classification, short-range tactical UAV description, ENICS manufacture, and technical data used to cross-check specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Defense Express Eleron-3 TransfersPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use and transfer context by reporting Eleron-3 UAV transfers to Russian Dnepr grouping units in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia sectors. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Militarnyi Seized Eleron UAVPublisher: Militarnyi | Note: Supports direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context by reporting Ukrainian special operations forces seizure of a Russian Eleron UAV and identifying ENICS as developer of Eleron-3SV. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Oryx Syria Eleron-3SVPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports direct 2011 Syrian Civil War use context by identifying a Russian-made Eleron-3SV reconnaissance UAV that crashed near Arafit in Latakia Governorate in July 2015. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Army Standard Eleron FamilyPublisher: Armeyskiy Standart | Note: Supports Eleron-3SV/T-28 variant context, military service history, flying-wing configuration, broad performance figures, and Syrian-use background. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Russian Wikipedia Eleron-3Publisher: Wikipedia | Note: Baseline source for Russian-language designation terms, Eleron-3SV and Eleron-B variant naming, and source leads; claims used from this source were cross-checked where practical. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Eleron-3SV ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the Eleron-3SV landing-by-parachute image, credited to Mil.ru and licensed on Commons under Creative Commons attribution terms. | Accessed: 2026-07-02