ZALA Lancet attack drone. © Marina Lystseva/TASS
On December 15, RIA Novosti and other news sources shared videos documenting four recent Russian strikes with Lancet loitering munitions on Ukrainian military equipment in the special military operation zone.
The strikes targeted Soviet-made 36D6 long-range surveillance and missile control radar, PRV-16ML height-finder radar and 5P85D transporter erector launcher of an S-300PS long-range air-defense system as well as an American-supplied M777 towed 155 mm howitzer.
The ZALA Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russia’s defense giant Kalashnikov Concern, produces two versions of the Lancet, 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, while the larger Izdeliye-51 has an endurance of an hour and is armed with a warhead weighting five kilograms. Both versions are equipped with an elector-optical system and a two-way data-link. This enables them to detect, track and lock on static and moving targets.
In the last few months, the Russian military expanded the use of the Lancet and other loitering munitions in the special operation zone in Ukraine. The small radar cross-section and minimal infrared signature of these system make them nearly impossible to intercept.
Despite receiving several modern electronic warfare and air-defense systems from its Western allies recently, Ukraine is still struggling to counter the threat of Russian loitering munitions.
