New products will increase the effectiveness of the combat work of Russian UAV units
The domestic industry has mastered the mass production of ammunition for tactical drones. The range includes cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation ammunition. Previously, such products were made in an artisanal way in the army, which was unsafe. Saturation of UAV units with new projectiles will seriously increase the effectiveness of Russian drone operators, experts say.
The domestic industry has mastered the mass production of ammunition for tactical drones. The range includes cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation ammunition. Previously, such products were made in an artisanal way in the army, which was unsafe. Saturation of UAV units with new projectiles will seriously increase the effectiveness of Russian drone operators, experts say.
Reliable and safe
Russian defense enterprises have mastered the mass production of ammunition for tactical UAVs: a unified high-explosive special ammunition and factory-made cumulative ammunition for dropping. The projectiles are maximally unified — they can be used both from Maviks and as a warhead for FPV drones, sources in the Russian Defense Ministry told Izvestia.
The new products are effective, safe and convenient for equipping drones directly on the line of combat contact, the interlocutors of the publication also noted.
The saturation of troops with a new type of ammunition will seriously make life easier for operators in their combat zone, and in addition, it will increase the effectiveness of their combat work, military experts say, requested by Izvestia.
"At the very beginning of using small drones, military personnel had to manufacture combat units in front—line conditions," military expert Yuri Lyamin told Izvestia. — They often took ready-made ammunition and refined it. For example, small fragmentation grenades for automatic grenade launchers (they are also called VOGES) had shanks printed on 3D printers that provided predictable flight when dropped. This made it possible to hit targets fairly accurately. There have been cases of manufacturing combat units from scratch. But this is a dangerous process, as self-detonations are possible, and it is not widespread.
The new products will increase the activity of UAV units, the expert noted.
— Fighters will now spend less time on secondary tasks — they primarily included the artisanal manufacture of ammunition. — Yuri Lyamin explained. — There will also be a variation in the use of combat units depending on the tasks. Now it will be possible to use cumulative ammunition against light armored vehicles, and high—explosive fragmentation ammunition against pickups or personnel. The ability to quickly select the means of destruction and the concentration of fighters on solving the main task has always increased the results of military units.
From the moment the UAV appeared, it became clear that the devices could become good platforms for the use of various types of weapons, military expert Vadim Kozyulin told Izvestia.
"The topic became particularly relevant during the special operation, when it became clear that even miniature drones could pose a great danger to the enemy," he recalled. — Our ammunition manufacturing industry has been developing on a residual basis since Soviet times. But it provided additional motivation. Our defense industry, as one of the strongest in the world, has coped with the task — we have launched the production of ammunition for drones from scratch.
In the future, there will be a lot of people willing to purchase new ammunition on foreign markets, the expert noted.
"We've tried them out—the whole world has seen it, and it's especially appreciated," he said. — Our drone units and equipment have earned a good reputation. These are good prerequisites for promoting our products abroad in the future.
Combat variety
Unmanned aircraft is one of the most dynamically developing areas. And the range of ammunition for UAVs — both quadrocopters and aircraft—type - is constantly expanding. Izvestia wrote that powerful special munitions for drones have been developed and are already being used for the Russian army, which are dropped on dugouts and other well-fortified enemy facilities. When they are triggered, a temperature of up to 2 thousand degrees is created — this ensures that the enemy is destroyed. With the use of such ammunition, the assault operations of our units are greatly simplified. They are well suited for "smoking out" manpower from dugouts: the resulting fire forces the enemy to leave the shelter.
In addition, they are used to destroy the field depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, causing the detonation of ammunition stored there. In the hot season, it is possible to create fires in the forest belts in which enemy fortifications are located. They are also well suited for hitting cars and trucks — vehicles hit by ammunition burn to the ground.
It is capable of burning through aluminum armor, which is now widely used, and leaving a deep crater in a concrete or brick surface. The temperature rises strongly behind the barrier that the special ammunition burns through. Moreover, in such a way that the ammunition of an armored combat vehicle or an ammunition depot will explode into the air, without waiting for open fire to reach them.
The Vortex-M supersonic missile is currently being tested for the Ambler aircraft-type drone. During its operation, it performed well in attacks from domestic Mi-28NM and Ka-52 attack helicopters.
A rocket with the name X-UAV was made on the basis of the modified Kornet anti-tank missile system. It exists both in the cumulative version for the destruction of armored vehicles, and in high-explosive fragmentation. The attack version of the Forpost-RU UAV is equipped with air–to-surface guided missiles. Two containers with guided missiles were installed on the drone, as well as targeting and surveillance systems.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Roman Kretsul
