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
On October 29, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video documenting two recent strikes with Lancet loitering munitions on the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
The first strike hit a Soviet-made Buk-M1 medium-range air-defense system, while the second targeted a U.S.-made M777 155 mm towed howitzer. Footage from a surveillance drone that coordinated the strikes confirmed that both targets were completely destroyed.
The Lancet loitering munition was developed by the ZALA Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russia’s defense giant JSC Kalashnikov Concern.
The loitering munition is equipped with an elector-optical system that allows it to detect, track and lock on static and moving targets.
An improves version of the Lancet-3, that features a more aerodynamic design with extended X-shaped wings, was apparently used in the recent strikes. This version has an endurance of around an hour and is armed with a warhead weighting five kilograms.
The small radar cross-section and minimal infrared signature of the Lancet make it nearly impossible to detect and intercept.
The Russian military has been using the Lancet and other types of loitering munitions against the AFU since the beginning of its special operation in Ukraine. In the last few weeks, the use of these munitions was significantly expanded, especially against high-value military targets like air-defense systems and radar stations. As a result, Kiev forces sustained some serious human and material losses.
