MOSCOW REGION, RUSSIA – JUNE 25, 2019: A ZALA Lancet-3 attack drone developed by Kalashnikov Concern on display at the Army 2019 International Military Technical Forum at Patriot Park. Marina Lystseva/TASS
The Russian military has destroyed or damaged 27 targets of Kiev forces using Lancet loitering munitions between April 28 and May 4.
The Ukrainian losses, all documented in video by Lostarmour.info, were: Four main battle tanks, including two American-made M1A1 SA Abrams; Six self-propelled howitzers, including one British-made AS-90 and one Czech-made DANA vz. 77; Five towed howitzers, including one American-made M777; Two multiple rocket launcher, an American-made M142 HIMARS and a Soviet-made BM-21 Grad; One infantry fighting vehicle, a Ukrainian-made BTR-4E; One armored personnel carrier, an American-made M113; One armored fighting vehicle, an American-made MaxxPro; Two high-mobility vehicles, including one American-made Humvee; Two all-terrain vehicles, both Swedish-made Bandvagn 206; two trucks and one radar system, a Ukrainian-made 79K6 Pelican.
The Lancet was developed by the ZALA Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russia’s defense giant Kalashnikov Concern. The company produces two versions of the loitering munition, the Izdeliye-52 with an endurance of 30 minutes and a one-kilogram warhead and the larger Izdeliye-51 that has an endurance of 40 minutes and is armed with a warhead weighting three kilograms.
The loitering munition flies towards the designated area with a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system. After arriving in the area, the operator utilizes an onboard electro-optical system via a two-way data-link to detect, track and lock on the target. A laser-ranging system then controls the detonation of the warhead.
The small radar cross-section and minimal infrared signature of the electric-powered loitering munition makes it very difficult to detect and intercept.
Ukrainian attempts to stop Lancet loitering munitions with air defense fire, electronic warfare or countermeasures have been mostly unsuccessful.
The Russian military is increasingly using Lancet loitering munitions to attack Kiev forces behind the front line. During April, Lostarmour.info documented 160 strikes, while the number of documented strikes this month has already reached 19. It’s worth noting that many strikes remain classified.
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