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 number of Russian strikes against Kiev forces with Lancet loitering munitions documented by Lostarmour.info, a website that tracks military losses, has reached 1,210 by March 8.
The website began documenting Lancet strikes based on visual evidence, like videos and photos, with the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine more than two years ago. Over the past two months, the rate of documented strikes increased by more than double the few months before.
According to a summary provided by the website, Russian Lancet strikes have so far destroyed or damaged: 224 self-propelled howitzers; 235 towed howitzers; 31 multiple rocket launchers; 165 main battle tanks; 114 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers; 64 air defense systems and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns; 71 radars electronic warfare and communication systems and one warplane.
These numbers include only the documented strikes which seriously damaged the target or resulted in its complete destruction.
Over the past week, Lostarmour.info documented 22 strikes with Lancet loitering munitions across the frontline in the special military operation zone in Ukraine.
The recent strikes destroyed or damaged: six self-propelled howitzers, including one American-made M109 and one Swedish-made Archer; Three towed howitzers, including one American-made M777; Five main battle tanks; One infantry fighting vehicle, a Ukrainian-made BTR-4; Two anti-aircraft guns, including one German-made self-propelled Gepard 1A2; Two radars, including one American-made AN/TPQ-36; One signal direction-finding system, a Ukrainian-made Plastun-RP3000; One high-mobility vehicle, an American-made Humvee and one fortified positions.
The ZALA Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russia’s defense giant Kalashnikov Concern, produces two versions of the Lancet, 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.
