Lancet-3, screen grab from Russia-24 report.
The Russian military continues to use Lancet loitering munitions against the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) with much success.
On November 30 and December 1, two videos documenting recent Lancet strikes on AFU equipment in the special military operation zone surfaced online. The first strike targeted a Soviet-made MT-LB amphibious armored fighting vehicle, while the second hit a Soviet-made T-80 battle tank.
The Lancet was developed by the ZALA Aero Group. The company, which is a subsidiary of Russia’s defense giant Kalashnikov Concern, produces two versions of the loitering munition, the Izdeliye-51 and Izdeliye-52.
The Izdeliye-52 is the base version of the Lancet with an endurance of 40 minutes and a three-kilogram warhead. The Izdeliye-51 is an improved version that features a more aerodynamic design that enables it to stay in the air of up to an hour and carry a warhead weighting five kilograms.
Both the Izdeliye-51 and Izdeliye-52 are equipped with an elector-optical system that allows them to detect, track and lock on static and moving targets. They also have a small radar cross-section and a minimal infrared signature, which makes them very hard to intercept.
The Russian expanded the use of Lancet loitering munitions in the last few months, inflicting some heavy human and material losses on the AFU.
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