AP-5 Bustard

OUTDATED: The information in this article is currently out-of-date and needs to be updated with newer information based on changes from a recent patch.

Bustard / Roshanak
Faction	NATO ION CSAT AAF
Type	Small UCAV
Seats	None
Item capacity	120 mass
Top speed	~ 100 km/h
Fuel capacity	100 fuel units
Weight	280 kg (g, all variants) 300 mass (backpack)
Can be slingloaded	No
Primary armament	Variable; see Armament section for details
Secondary armament	Targeting: 1× Laser Designator
Variants	None
Games

The AP-5 Bustard / Roshanak AP-5 is a Small Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle used by several BLUFOR, REDFOR and INDFOR factions in ArmA 3. It was added with the release of the Western Sahara Creator DLC.

Overview

• Roles:
  • Armed sentry
  • Reconnaissance
  • Observation
  • Surveillance
  • Laser targeting

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Developed by the same manufacturer as the AR-2 and AL-6 series, the Bustard is a 6 rotor, small scale aerial support drone, equipped with a laser designator and modular rifle holster. Useful for target designation and perimeter defense, the armed drone concept has rapidly gained popularity with governments and security contractors around the world. An export version, known as the Roshanak AP-5, has recently been produced for CSAT member states. Field Manual

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Design

The AP-5 is a man portable, VTOL-capable hexacopter UAV that is compact enough to be carried in a backpack.

Features
It can be armed with a variety of handheld small arms:

AP-5s armed with a variety of heavy weapons, ranging from shotguns loaded with HE shells to .408 sniper rifles and 7.62 mm GPMGs.

• Submachine guns:
  • ADR-97 (5.7 mm; all variants)
  • PDW2000 (9 mm)
  • Protector (9 mm)
  • Sting (9 mm)
  • Vermin (.45)
• Shotguns:
  • AA40 (12 Gauge)
  • Kozlice (12 Gauge; both variants)
• Carbines:
  • AKS-74U (5.45 mm)
  • AKU-12 (7.62 mm)
  • Katiba Carbine (6.5 mm)
  • Mk20C (5.56 mm)
  • MXC (6.5 mm)
  • TRG-20 (5.56 mm)
• Assault rifles:
  • AK-12 (7.62 mm)
  • AKM (7.62 mm)
  • CAR-95 (5.8 mm)
  • Galat ARM (7.62 mm; both variants)
  • Katiba (6.5 mm)
  • Mk20 (5.56 mm)
  • MX (6.5 mm; all variants)
  • SDAR (5.56 mm)
  • SLR (7.62 mm)
  • SPAR-16 (5.56 mm)
  • TRG-21 (5.56 mm)
  • Type 115 (6.5 mm)
  • Promet (6.5 mm)
  • Velko R4 (5.56 mm; all variants)
  • XMS (5.56 mm)
• Squad automatic weapons:
  • CAR-95-1 (5.8 mm)
  • LIM-85 (5.56 mm)
  • Mk200 (6.5 mm)
  • MX SW (6.5 mm)
  • RPK-12 (7.62 mm)
  • XMS SW (5.56 mm)
  • Zafir (7.62 mm)
• Machineguns
  • Navid (9.3 mm)
  • SA-77 (7.62 mm; both variants)
  • SPMG (.338)
• Marksman rifles:
  • ASP-1 Kir (12.7 mm)
  • Cyrus (9.3 mm)
  • MAR-10 (.338)
  • Mk-I EMR (7.62 mm)
  • Mk14 (7.62 mm; both variants)
  • Mk18 ABR (7.62 mm)
  • MXM (6.5 mm)
  • Promet MR (6.5 mm)
  • Rahim (7.62 mm)
• Sniper rifles:
  • GM6 Lynx (12.7 mm)
  • M320 LRR (.408)
• Grenade launchers:
  • GLX (40 mm)

AP-5 with an MX SW.

These weapons can be dynamically fitted onto the AP-5's mount irrespective of its faction alignment or the calibre of the weapon. It is possible to customise the type of magazine used by the weapon prior to mounting it. In addition, the AP-5's camera has an integrated laser marker, allowing the drone to be used in a forward air control role to designate targets for precision guided munitions.

Notable Traits
If providing fire support for the squad is not a requirement, the AP-5 can be fitted with a marksman rifle or even a sniper rifle for long distance sharpshooting instead.

This effectively turns the AP-5 into a flying "sniper" drone that not only has the ability to spot targets with thermal and night vision but is able to adjust its height at will. Whereas a human marksman or sniper would have their line-of-sight obstructed due to the terrain, the AP-5 can simply hover at a greater altitude or set up a sniping position at impossible-to-reach locations (for humans).

Drawbacks
AP-5s cannot rearm their mounted weapon on their own upon depletion of their weapon's current magazine. The operator has to order the drone to land, manually disarm it, reload the weapon by hand, and then fit it back onto the mount. It is a time-consuming process and essentially prevents the AP-5 from being able to fly very far from the operator.

Due to size limitations, the mount is also unable to support pistols and shoulder-fired anti-armour/anti-air launchers. As such, it is limited to shotguns, carbines, SMGs, rifles, DMRs, sniper rifles, LMGs/LSWs, and MMGs only.

Camouflage

• White
• Black
• Hex
• Digital

1/4

• White: Pattern-less flat white paint scheme. Used on NATO AP-5s.
• Black: All-black paint scheme. Exclusive to ION AP-5s.
• Hex: Light/dark grey cell pattern camouflage. Utilised by CSAT's AP-5s.
• Digital: Digitised semi-fractal camouflage pattern used by several AAF aircraft and boats. Exclusive to AAF AP-5s.

Protection

AP-5s have a base armour value of 16. However, the individual rotors are significantly more fragile and have base armour values of only 1.2.

Stealth

The AP-5 is classified as a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (SUAV), and therefore cannot be targeted by most anti-aircraft systems due to being too miniature to be trackable:

RCS

The AP-5 has a radar cross-section rating of only 0.1. This reduces the detection range of active radars to just 10% of their maximum (a reduction of 90%).

Because the AP-5 lacks an active radar of its own, spotting the AP-5 via passive sensors is virtually impossible under the best of circumstances.

IR

The AP-5 is not masked from infrared-based sensors.

Visual

The AP-5 can only be spotted at 10% of any visual-based sensor's maximum range (a factor of 0.1; reduction of 90%).

Sensors

As a small UAV, the AP-5 has just two types of sensors designed mainly for tracking human-sized objects:

Sensor type	Max range (Air/Ground)	Min range (Air/Ground)	Affected by environment?	Target max speed (km/h)	Azimuth coverage (°)	Elevation coverage (°)	Friendly identification range (m)
Infrared	A: 1,500 m G: 1,000 m	A: 500 m G: 500 m	Fog (0.005%)	126 km/h	51°	37°	2,000 m
Human	A: 750 m G: 500 m	A: 500 m G: 500 m	Fog (0.005%)	54 km/h	51°	37°	0 m

Infrared Sensor

The AP-5's IR Sensor is located in the drone's turret camera (represented by the red cone on the SENSORS panel). Although it is technically affected by heavy fog, the range reduction effect is so miniscule (-0.15 metre reduction) that it will be barely noticeable.

It should be noted that the IR Sensor has an elevation offset of -0.5 degrees.

Human Sensor

The AP-5's Human Sensor is located in the drone's turret camera (represented by the red cone on the SENSORS panel). Although it is technically affected by heavy fog, the range reduction effect is so miniscule (-0.0375 metre reduction) that it will be barely noticeable.

It should be noted that the Human Sensor has an elevation offset of -0.5 degrees.

Armament

NOTE: Only the weapons used on the default loadout for the AP-5 are listed here.

The AP-5's mount is able to accept any type of infantry small arms barring pistols and shoulder-fired launchers. The default weapon is faction-specific (NATO: MX SW, ION: Mk200, CSAT: Zafir, AAF: Mk200) but they are fully interchangeable between sides (they are not restricted on a faction basis).

For optics, the AP-5's camera is able to switch between three fields of view and is able to toggle day, night or black-/white-hot thermal vision modes:

Mk18 ABR

Main article: Mk18 ABR

7.62 mm-chambered marksman rifle with a 20-round box magazine.

Mk200

Main article: Mk200

Light machine gun that feeds from a 200-round linked belt.

MX SW

Main article: MX series#MX SW

Light support weapon configuration of the MX assault rifle. Feeds from a 100-round magazine.

Zafir

Main article: Zafir

Light machine gun that feeds from a 150-round linked belt.

Trivia

• Prior to Update 1.02, it was not possible for players to modify the drone's loadout under certain conditions in a multiplayer environment. This was eventually addressed after the patch was released.
• Following Update 1.1's release, the AP-5's mounting system was changed so that it is now possible to freely mount any type of firearm regardless of whether it is an official premium asset or from custom addons.
  • Before the patch was released, the AP-5's mount was restricted to only four types of weapons and could not be fitted with other official, third-party, or community-made weapons.
  • However, Update 1.1 also changed the NATO AP-5's MX SW to feed from 30-round STANAGs as opposed to the usual 100-round magazines. This too was eventually corrected after the release of the Update 1.1.1 hotfix.

Gallery