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.
And yet Donbas is still getting shelled. Get on with it, Rome didn’t conquer half the known world by being nice
Don’t worry Neo-Nazis, sorry I mean “freedom fighters version 100th” the US is sending Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. Which is harder to move and cost more and the fact NATO operating these systems.
Also, I should mention if the US send these, they most likely will but so far it is a if. But yes I have seen the video of heavy American M985 tractors from the Patriot air defense system in Ukraine.
The keywords here are: cost more. Other factors are not important. US lemming tax payers will foot the bill for more future production. So the easier those weapons are put out of commission, the better for the US Profit Industrial Complex.
No, it is Europeans who are forced to take loans from the US and pay for it. It is a win-win for the US it is a lose-lose for Europe and Russia.
Did we wrap up the ATO and get the last Moskal out of Donbas? Can I bring out my Shukhevych sex doll with the fuckable mouth? I want to carry it in the torchlight parade through Donetsk! Did SF readers know that Dr. Martin Luther King was Ukrainian? I learned that from my textbook paid for by the nice UCC people in Canada.
The video of the S-300 launcher is already destroyed and has a Z written on it. I guess they wanted to destroy the remaining missiles so Ukraine can’t collect them. It looks like two are where still intact the condition unknown but better to be sure.
The Z was a Ukrainian attempt to conceal that it was theirs.
That Z is in the wrong location as well. Also look at the directions the launcher is facing. The shadowing indicates that this object is facing a South Easternly direction. Russia wouldn’t be pointing it that way. Also as the cab has been abandoned because of its destruction it appears to be non functioning at a glance. But look close. NOTICE the cables leading away into the housing behind it? these systems have remote fire capabilities. Also a command terminal can be used to fire as well. The Ukrianians painted that z. Notice how all the vehicle is russet and suffering from wear, yet the Z looks very fresh. This gives hint that it was placed in an attempt to disguise it. It had been done by Ukrianians attempting to cross russian lines and other installations in the past.
You are right. There was a Z on the truck.
I bet Nato have had time to study the tech of the radars during the past years.
The third video shows a total waste of a Lancet in my opinon. As you can see, the TEL was already destroyed and abbandoned…Why bother?
These clips are not recent. They appear to be several weeks old, or at lest since end/early fall. None the less the demonstrate that Russia is systematically destroying Ukriane’s air defense. This correlates with the westerns deployment of AA systems not so long ago. Judging by the increase in western AA, it is safe to assume Ukriane is almost out of any domestic systems, and manynof the recently supplied western ones as well.
Why else would they beg for patriot missiles?
Well done. Looks like they have spring in the middle of winter in Ukraine. Great for them, so they don’t get cold.
i wish they would skip the funky music and substitute a narrator and maybe date/time/target/location etc
The third video shows an already wretched peice of equipment being attacked again, and some time after by the looks of things.