KUBINKA (Moscow region), 25 Aug-RIA Novosti. The Russian Defense Ministry has approved the technical specification for the Lancet suicide drones, their state tests will begin at the end of the year, the Kalashnikov Group of companies told RIA Novosti at the Army-2021 forum.
"Lancets" refer to barrage ammunition, also known as suicide drones. This is a class of weapons that can fly for a long time in the intended target area while in search mode. When a target is detected, such a drone strikes it as a guided air-to-surface missile, completely destroying itself.
Representatives of the group of companies added that the prototypes of the Lancets, which will be submitted to state tests, "have been finalized taking into account the experience of their use"
The Lancet unmanned aerial vehicles were developed by ZALA AERO (part of Kalashnikov). According to the developer, they are capable of carrying a striking warhead of up to three kilograms and can stay in the air for up to 30 minutes.
According to video footage distributed by Russian TV channels earlier this year, the Lancet was used by the Russian military in Syria to attack terrorist positions. Such ammunition with high efficiency affects vehicles and lightly armored vehicles, machine-gun points and ATGM positions, enemy manpower concentrations, and other targets.
The Lancet is completely destroyed when attacking a target, and also does not have the function of returning to base due to the danger of an explosion of the warhead with landing methods available to such devices.
