A Forpost-R combat drone. Source: the Russian Ministry of Defense (https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12234819@egNews)
On December 19, 20 and 21, footage documenting recent strikes by Russian Forpost-R combat drones in the special military operation zone in Ukraine surfaced online.
The pinpoint drone strikes targeted two battle tanks, one of which was hidden inside a hanger, and an armored vehicle. All three targets were completely destroyed.
The Forpost-R is a modernized variant of the original Forpost drone, which is a licensed copy of the Israeli IAI Searcher. The drone has a takeoff weight of 500 kg, a range of 400 kilometers and an endurance of 18 hours at an altitude of up to 6,000 meters.
The main armament of the Forpost-R is the KAB-20 light glide bomb, which is available in two versions, the Kab-20L that is guided by a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system, and the Kab-20S, which is also equipped with a semi-active laser seeker. The bomb carries a seven kilogram high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
The Forpost-R can also carry a air-launched version of the Kornet-D anti-tank guided missile, dubbed “X-BPLA”. The specifications of the new missile are yet to be revealed.
Russian combat drones, including the Forpost-R, the Kronshtadt Orion and the Luch Korsar, have been attacking Kiev forces since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine with much success. In the last few months, these drone began to play a larger rule in the operation.
