Numerous footage of the destruction of Ukrainian equipment, filmed by the Lancet kamikaze drone, made it one of the most famous types of weapons used during the military operation. The UAVs themselves have received the unofficial nickname "X" — because of the characteristic x-shaped shape of the wing. And the calculations of the Lancets began to be called ixologists. The Izvestia correspondent visited the positions of the operators of these drones and saw how they find and hit targets.
Numerous footage of the destruction of Ukrainian equipment, filmed by the Lancet kamikaze drone, made it one of the most famous types of weapons used during the military operation. The UAVs themselves have received the unofficial nickname "X" — because of the characteristic x-shaped shape of the wing. And the calculations of the Lancets began to be called ixologists. The Izvestia correspondent visited the positions of the operators of these drones and saw how they find and hit targets.
In conjunction with the scout
The Lancet is a whole complex that includes the Zala reconnaissance UAV, a launcher, control systems and the kamikaze drone itself.
The calculation works quickly and smoothly. The peculiarity of large drones is that they cannot be launched from hiding: they require an open space that cannot be completely camouflaged. That is, people, although for a short time, are out of hiding. This means that the best protection for personnel is the speed of work, skills and experience.
While one of the fighters is deploying a pneumatic catapult and preparing it for operation, the second is assembling the first drone.
— This is the scout Zala, who accompanies the Lancets. He finds a point, finds a technique or manpower, captures the coordinates, sends it to the Lancet, corrects it, and defeat occurs. He can also work alone as a scout. You can drive it for days, it is generally unpretentious in operation," says a fighter with the call sign Long, who is preparing for the departure of a reconnaissance drone.
Infographics
Image source: iz.ru
An experienced specialist who has been working with this type of device for a year and a half says that the Zala scout is practically invulnerable to enemy electronic warfare. As a last resort, the operator always has the opportunity to take the car in a safe direction. Light weapons such as machine guns also pose no threat to the scout. For all the time we have been working in the Donetsk sector, the military personnel with whom we communicate have not seen examples of successful anti-aircraft fire against reconnaissance UAVs equipped with Lancet complexes.
— His camera is excellent, you can see the license plates of the car from a kilometer away. And from five kilometers away, disassemble the type of armored vehicles. It has wide application possibilities in different weather conditions," notes Long.
The drone is ready for takeoff, and the Long One is waiting for a signal that the operator has established communication with the device. The fighter says that, despite the often difficult weather conditions, the actions of electronic warfare and enemy air defense and other factors, their group has 95% of successful sorties. This is a very high indicator, because every reconnaissance mission and every pixel of information saves the lives of fighters who otherwise would have to conduct reconnaissance in other, more dangerous and less effective ways.
— For example, if the enemy begins his offensive where small copters do not see him, our reconnaissance aircraft-type UAV sees all the enemy's actions in advance and warns the troops through communications. This is bearing fruit," explains the Long One.
The target is hit
As soon as the appropriate command is received, the launch itself takes seconds, and it is possible for everyone to go to shelter in landing. Operators are already working there in pairs. They get comfortable in their "workplaces" by deploying their computers on the transport case of one of the drones. They control a reconnaissance UAV and a second kamikaze UAV.
— Both tactical skills and flight hours are important. Otherwise, you can't handle the Lancet. If you take an ordinary person and put them at the remote control, and hope that they will be able to control it right away, this will not happen. It was hard to study, but we managed," explains the operator with the call sign Dancer, destroying the apparent similarity of the entourage with the usual gaming computer.
To save an expensive car, you need knowledge, experience, and quick decision-making skills. The dancer notes that the Lancet is used today primarily to hit targets that are inconvenient for artillery. Or for the rapid destruction of particularly valuable objects. If we are talking about less significant targets, then by adjusting the Zala scout, they can be guided by a simpler than the Lancet, FPV drone or trigger artillery fire.
It is often heard that drones have changed modern warfare. The Dancer agrees with this.
— I've been in the service for a long time. And, when there were no drones yet, on the one hand, we dreamed of them, seeing them in action somewhere in films, and on the other hand, it was easier for us, because the enemy did not have this effective means of reconnaissance and destruction," the fighter recalls his service in the DPR militia in in the second half of the 2010s.
Meanwhile, the scout discovers the enemy's artillery piece. This is one of those priority targets that X's are used to defeat quickly and reliably. It was the destruction of NATO long-range guns, which were considered practically not vulnerable to counter-battery fire, that became the hallmark of the "ixovodov". 15-20 minutes after the launch of the kamikaze drone, we receive confirmation: the target has been destroyed.
Dmitry Astrakhan