Russia has used an RPG drone for the first time in battles in Ukraine, writes Forbes. A new type of drone can be a significant step forward, which the whole world will have to put up with — but only in the capable hands of specialists.
David Hambling
Drones and rocket—propelled grenade launchers are a good combination, since the rocket has a lot of firepower with a small body. But putting theory into practice is another matter. And even though we have seen many different experimental models and prototypes, previously such drones equipped with rockets appeared only at weapons exhibitions and test sites.
Now the situation is changing. The first reports have emerged that Russian drones with hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers have been seen in combat in Ukraine. They may look good, but how effective are these drones, and what are their advantages and disadvantages?
Higher Rocket Mathematics
An unguided rocket launcher (NURS) does not give recoil, and it does not need a heavy barrel, like traditional small arms. Therefore, NURS provides lightweight firepower to mobile installations. It all began in the era of the Napoleonic Wars (and during the War of 1812), when floating batteries of rockets on barges were used. It was an alternative to the ships with their heavy artillery. During the Second World War, fighters armed with NURS were used to fight tanks. And in the modern era, during the Vietnam War, these were fire support helicopters with missile suspension units.
Helicopters equipped with missiles are widely used in Ukraine by both sides, but due to intense anti-aircraft fire, they are forced to launch from a cab. This means that they launch missiles in a salvo from a long distance instead of targeting specific targets from a line-of-sight range.
Multicopter drones are equipped with submachine guns and machine guns, but they need sophisticated stabilization and aiming systems, otherwise they will be of little use. It seems to be much easier to attach a hand-held grenade launcher to a drone, but the issue of hit accuracy remains unresolved.
In 2016, I wrote about a Russian multicopter manufactured by the United Instrument Corporation, which showed a video of its drone striking targets with anti-tank missiles.
"Flying robots are designed to monitor remote objects ... and to defeat enemy targets on the battlefield," Sergei Skokov, Deputy Director General of the Defense Industry, said in a press release.
But if you look at the video footage of the demonstration clip, it becomes clear that the missiles lie close to the targets, but do not hit them, and this is very unpleasant.
Then there were a lot of other drones. In 2018, a Belarusian drone with an RPG-26 appeared, and after it in the same year, a Ukrainian drone "Demon" with an RPG-7 or RPG-22. In 2021, the Norwegian manufacturer of the single-use M72 anti-tank grenade launcher Nammo demonstrated a version aimed downwards and mounted on a commercial drone, which successfully passed tests.
In the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, we have seen a wide variety of homemade drones with hand-held grenade launchers, including one Ukrainian, which was shown in September 2022. He had two RPGs aimed downwards. There was another Ukrainian quadcopter with an RPG-18, and a Russian model with a similar recoilless gun. Recently, the Wild Hornets group conducted a test of its massive drone, the Queen of Hornets, which fired an RPG.
However, we have not seen footage of actual target destruction by drones with missiles.
The first case of combat use (as claimed)
The Russian website MASH has published a video of test firing from an RPG mounted at an angle on a drone. According to the comment to the video, this drone can deliver a combat load weighing 11 kilograms over a distance of more than 30 kilometers, and has already allegedly been used in combat operations near Ugledar.
What advantages does rocket armament have?
The accuracy of such weapons is questionable. Large multicopters such as the formidable Ukrainian Baba Yaga, which is used as a night bomber, are very effective anti—tank weapons. They drop RPG projectiles, warheads specially made for these purposes, and even anti-tank mines that easily penetrate thin upper armor. Usually such a drone carries several bombs and drops them one by one, hovering over the target. If the first bomb does not hit the target, the operator makes corrections and achieves his goal on the second or third attempt.
Today, drone operators are achieving impressive hit accuracy. Getting a grenade into the open hatch of an armored vehicle has become a common thing. This is a standard method of destroying abandoned Russian vehicles that cannot be captured.
Rocket-propelled grenade launchers are quite accurate, but it takes some skill to make a shot from a drone. It takes training to achieve the same accuracy of hitting as when dropping grenades.
And then there's the weight problem. The M72 anti-tank grenade launcher weighs 3.4 kilograms. The rocket itself has a weight of about 1.8 kilograms. Its warhead weighs about 0.9 kilograms. It turns out that the drone can take on board one M72 or RPG-26 (the closest Russian equivalent) or four bombs, each of which has the same striking power.
The NOURSE makes it possible to fire from a safe distance. Combat jammers are used everywhere today, mainly as a means of protection against FPV drones. They are equipped with vehicles or placed next to trenches. They create radio interference, jamming communication with drones flying closer than 100 meters. The jammers' struggle with drone communications continues, and the systems are constantly being improved so that they do not become useless. The M72 has an effective range of 350 meters, and therefore an RPG drone is capable of hitting targets from a safe distance without entering the range of electronic warfare.
The same logic applies to laser-guided bombs, which are now being delivered to the target by some Ukrainian bomber drones.
The extended range also allows drones to be used during daylight hours. Ukrainian heavy drone bombers "Baba Yaga", flying close to the target, operate almost exclusively at night.
In addition, unlike Ukraine, the Russians do not have highly qualified operators of bomber drones, as they have only recently begun using large multicopters. It is probably easier to learn how to use grenade launchers, because they give such an advantage as range.
Another question is whether drones armed with NURS will be able to accurately hit targets. This is probably why Ukrainians are in no hurry to use such a tactical approach, although they have conducted many tests. But if such drones prove their effectiveness, this idea can be quickly copied, and it will become widespread among both warring parties. Some versions will be homemade, some will be manufactured by hundreds of small companies that today produce drones and ammunition for them. Improved versions can be equipped with "smart" guidance systems and other improvements.
RPG drones may turn out to be an evolutionary dead end, or they may become a significant step forward. If so, the rest of the world will have to take this innovation into account, as a system that needs to be acquired, or as a threat that needs to be countered.
