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
Artificial intelligence is now helping Russian Lancet loitering munition recognize carefully camouflaged targets in the special military operations zone in Ukraine, ZALA Aero Group, the producer of the system, revealed on September 4.
“The loitering munitions of the Lancet family, equipped with an intelligent guidance and target recognition system, are capable of detecting carefully camouflaged enemy equipment,” the company said in a press release posted to Telegram.
ZALA, a subsidiary of Russian defense giant Kalashnikov, produces two models 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 weighing three kilograms.
The Lancet 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.
In July, the company announced that both the navigation and targeting systems of the loitering munition received upgrades enabling artificial intelligence features and improving resistance against jamming.
Footage released by ZALA along with its latest press release showed two successful Lancet strikes on carefully camouflaged howitzers of Kiev forces in the Dnipropetrovsk direction. In both cases, the AI-powered target recognition function of the Lancet’s electro-optical system was able to automatically recognize the howitzers which were then hit with pinpoint accuracy.
The Lancet has proven to be a lethal system during the special military operation in Ukraine, with over 3,600 documented strikes.
It is believed that the system received even more upgrades than what was announced by ZALA. A version of the Izdeliye-51 with a longer range and endurance was recently spotted. It was also reported that the loitering munition was upgraded with a protection system meant to counter interceptor drones.
Ukrainian attempts to stop the Lancet with air defense fire, electronic warfare or counter-measures have been mostly unsuccessful.
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trump ordered pentagon to ‘deter’ russia and china – hegseth russia today – lmao…. amurikans are delirious! russian liberal oligarchs will be wiped out!
i wish the day would come when ghassan alian and the rest of the israeli druze would force israel to bomb damascus and aleppo.