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
Between April 13 and 23, Russian news sources released several videos documenting recent strikes with Lancet loitering munition against equipment of Kiev forces in the Russian special military operation zone.
The pinpoint strikes destroyed or damaged an American-made M777 towed 155 mm howitzers, two unidentified towed howitzers, most likely Soviet-made D30 122 mm, a Soviet-made 9K33 Osa short-range air defense system, a Soviet-made T-80 main battle tank and an unidentified wheeled armored personnel carrier, possibly a BTR-3.
The Lancet loitering munition 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 nearly impossible to intercept.
Since the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, there have been at least 214 Lancet strikes against Kiev forces, The vast majority of the strikes were successful.
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