Russian Lancet Loitering Munitions Hit 29 Ukrainian Targets Within Week (Videos)

ZALA Lancet attack drone. © Marina Lystseva/TASS

The Russian military has successfully hit 29 targets of Kiev forces using Lancet loitering munitions between March 16 and 22.

The Ukrainian losses, all documented in video by Lostarmour.info, were:

• Eight towed howitzers, including one American-made M119;
• Four self-propelled howitzers, including one British-made AS-90;
• Three multiple rocket launchers, all of which were Soviet-made BM-21 Grad;
• Four main battle tanks;
• One armored personnel carrier, an American-made M1126 Stryker;
• One high-mobility vehicle;
• Three air-defense systems, all of which were Soviet-made Strela-10;
• One radar, a Soviet-made ST-68U;
• One warplane, a a Czechoslovakian-made L-39 Albatros jet trainer;
• Three naval vessels, including an American-made Island-class patrol boat.

The Lancet was developed by the ZALA Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russia’s defense giant Kalashnikov Concern. The company produces two versions of the loitering munition, 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.

Since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Lostarmour.info has documented a total of 1306 Lancet strikes against Kiev forces. There have been at least 124 strikes this month so far. It’s worth noting that many strikes remain classified.

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