Denis Fedutinov, an expert in the field of unmanned aviation, noted that the use of such equipment generally increases the effectiveness of combat operationsMOSCOW, October 22.
/tass/. During the special operation in Ukraine, the Russian side began to use kamikaze drones more actively, since the Russian military has changed its attitude to this type of ammunition in the light of their advantages. Denis Fedutinov, an expert in the field of unmanned aviation, expressed this opinion to TASS.
Over the past month, the Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly published footage of the destruction of Ukrainian equipment during a special operation using kamikaze drones capable of attacking an armored target with a direct hit. The videos distributed by the department show the use of Lancet barrage ammunition on armored vehicles and weapons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including those supplied by NATO countries.
In addition, Rostec State Corporation on October 20 shared on social networks a video of the use of a kamikaze drone "CUBE" by the Russian troops: in the published video, it also hits remote enemy ground targets. Earlier, Rostec reported on the successful use of both drones during the conflict. According to Alan Lushnikov, president of the Kalashnikov Concern, the Russian Armed Forces have begun to "actively exploit" ZALA Aero drones (part of the Kalashnikov concern).
Against this background, on October 14, it became known that the command of the US army turned to defense companies in search of ideas on how to defend against kamikaze drone attacks. According to the American weekly Defense News, during the military special operation, both sides of the conflict have already managed to use thousands of such ammunition.
Why are shock drones being used more and more
According to Fedutinov, in recent weeks, the units of the Russian Armed Forces participating in the special operation have really increased the intensity and effectiveness of the use of barrage ammunition, hitting both elements of the enemy's critical infrastructure and individual military facilities, including radar antennas, artillery and rocket launchers, armored vehicles, ammunition depots.
"We can say that there has been a certain kind of turning point in the attitude of the domestic military to this subject of weapons and now, albeit belatedly, we are starting to catch up, using the positive properties inherent in these systems," the expert said, noting that previously the combination of unmanned reconnaissance and ground strike means was considered more optimal.
The fact that in some cases the use of barrage ammunition is justified, practice has shown, the agency interlocutor is sure. According to Fedutinov, strike drones allow minimizing the duration of the detection-defeat chain, which may contain weak links. In this regard, the use of such drones generally increases the effectiveness of combat operations.
"Modern warfare is very dynamic - artillery and other shock weapons often change their positions, the relevance of intelligence information in such an environment is extremely short-lived," the expert explained. "The value of being able to quickly track a target and hit it <...> is difficult to overestimate." Fedutinov pointed out the possibility of providing objective control of the results of the defeat of strike drones from another UAV, which has been repeatedly demonstrated by the example of actions of barrage ammunition similar to Lancets.
About kamikaze drones "Lancet" and "CUBE"
The Lancet drone is manufactured by ZALA Aero. It is equipped with several types of guidance systems: coordinate, using optoelectronic means and combined. The device has a television communication channel that transmits an image of the target, which allows you to confirm the success of the defeat. The complex is capable of hitting targets within a radius of up to 40 km. The maximum take-off weight is 12 kg.
The "CUBE" drone was developed by ZALA Aero. It has a warhead weighing 3 kg. The maximum duration of the flight is 30 minutes, the speed is 130 km/ h. The KUB barrage ammunition successfully passed state tests in November 2021. This year its serial deliveries to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were planned.
