Click to see full-size image. (Rosoboronexport)
The Russian military has successfully converted the Dan aerial target into a suicide drone, Ukrainian media reported on May 29.
The Dan was developed by the Kazan OKB “Sokol” for use in air defense tests and exercises. The system, which is powered by a turbojet engine, is meant to mimic fixed-wing aerial targets with higher speeds, including cruise missiles and fighter jets.
The aerial target has an endurance of 25-40 minutes and speed of 400-750 kilometers per hour. It is also highly maneuverable and can be equipped with electronic warfare systems.
According to Ukrainian media, the Russian military has used a version of the Dan converted into a suicide drone to attack several targets of Kiev forces.
Converting aerial targets to suicide drone is neither a new idea, nor a hard one to implement. The Dan was apparently equipped with a guidance system, most likely based on a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system, and got its recovery parachute replaced with a warhead.
It is also possible that the Dan was equipped with a passive radar seeker to lock on and attack Ukrainian air defenses, although in this case describing the converted system as a loitering munition would be more fitting.
Calculating the minimum endurance of the Dan with its top speed, we could estimate the suicide drone version of the system to have a range of just over 300 kilometers.
The Russian military has been using aerial targets like the Dan to test and overwhelm Ukrainian air defense since the start of the special military operation more than three years ago. This is, however, the first time reports suggest that such a system was also used in attack missions.
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