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
Russian drone manufacturer ZALA Aero Group said on September 15 that one of its Lancet loitering munitions struck a Ukrainian electronic warfare system hidden inside a decommissioned Il-76 transport aircraft at an airport in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Footage released by ZALA shows the munition approaching the aircraft and hitting its fuselage. The video was sourced from the LostArmour Telegram channel, according to the company. It is unclear when exactly the strike took place.
The strike highlights the role of the Lancet as a relatively small precision weapon capable of searching for targets after reaching a designated area.
ZALA produces two main variants of the Lancet. The Izdeliye-52 has an endurance of about 30 minutes and carries a 1-kilogram warhead, while the much larger Izdeliye-51 can fly for about 40 minutes and carries a warhead weighing up to 3 kilograms.
Lancets use a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system during the flight to the target area. Once there, an operator can use the munition’s electro-optical system through a two-way data link to detect and track a target before guiding the weapon onto it. A laser-ranging system is used to control warhead detonation.
More recent versions of the Lancet incorporate artificial intelligence capabilities for navigation and guidance. These upgrades are intended to reduce the munition’s reliance on continuous operator input and improve its ability to locate and engage targets.
LostArmour, which archives military losses, has documented more than 5,000 Lancet strikes since the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. The strikes hit over 2,000 pieces of artillery, more than 100 multiple rocket launchers, more than 500 main battle tanks, more than 600 armored personnel carriers, at least 120 air defense systems, and more than 250 radars.
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