Loitering munition (LM) or suicide drones (suicide / kamikaze drones) are weapons systems that hover around to find a target and attack when the target is located. . LM has the advantages of tactical and tactical features, simplicity in production and operation, increasing survivability in combat as well as the ability to destroy targets. It also allows for more selective targeting and actual strike missions can be canceled, revolutionizing the way war is waged in volatile regions of the world. Lancet is equipped with an electric motor with a propeller in the tail and optoelectronic unit in the nose; Source: topwar.ru The LM can be as simple as a drone (UAV) and can even be built from commercial drones, with weapons attached, sent on a suicide mission. in the air for a long period of time before an attack, which simplifies reconnaissance and assault. It allows to promptly attack hidden targets in a short time without having to use expensive weapons (such as rockets, self-propelled guns using smart bullets …). Low cost creates another characteristic advantage that simplifies the organization of large-scale raids aimed at overwhelming enemy air defenses. LMs are made more complex in terms of flight and control capabilities, warhead size and design, body sensors … Some LMs may return and be recalled by the operator if they are not. used in the attack and has enough fuel left. LM first appeared in the 1980s, was used as the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) against surface-to-air missiles (SAM), and was used by the military in several countries. Entering service in the 1990s. Starting in the 2000s, the LM has been developed and has a construction suitable for wearing in a backpack for additional missions, from long range attacks and fire support. power to short-range, tactical battlefield systems. Lancet – a formidable Russian mobile suicide weapon In fact, the British were the first to come to terms with the LM weapon, but today Russia, Israel and the US are leading the way. Not long ago, the Zala Aero company of Kalashnikov Group (Russia) presented the first suicide weapon “Lancet” (“Ланцет”) – an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of reconnaissance and attack. Assigned public target, capable of completely changing combat operations in the near future. The company’s new product Zala Aero was demonstrated for the first time at the Army-Technical Forum-2019. Each combination includes a control panel providing the ability to receive and process data, as well as transmit commands to the suicide weapon. The Lancet is fabricated in a longitudinal scheme with two X-shaped wing combinations used to reduce the size of the bearing plane while maintaining the required lift; at the same time, it is possible to increase the stiffness of the structure and increase the flight speed. As a rule, Israel’s most famous LM systems built according to the classic airplane scheme have one fundamental drawback: LMs maneuver well along one axis and not maneuver along the other – which reduces the effect of an attack on a moving target. The X-shaped wing map adheres to aerodynamic surfaces, which are characteristic of missiles, overcoming this weakness. Lancet is designed with the optoelectronic unit in the nose and the electric motor connected to the propeller propeller at the tail; Widely used plastic and synthetic materials. Unlike foreign models, Lancet uses two X-shaped wings combinations; Source: topwar.ru The optical device unit has a channel that transmits the signal to the operator console, does not lose video communication with the operator until it is in direct contact with the target. This UAV is also equipped with its own navigation system capable of identifying coordinates from a variety of sources and objects. Flight and targeting can be performed under the control of the operator and independently, or a combination of the two. Experts will track it from the ground through the Russian GLONASS satellite navigation system or its own command-control system. The “Lancet-1” and “Lancet-3” models agreed on the body frame and internal system components, catapulted, capable of reaching speeds of 80-130 km / h. According to the manufacturer, they do not need additional operating facilities on the ground but can locate, communicate, attack targets within a radius of 40 km. When the UAV flies to an altitude of 5 km, it can turn off the main engine but continue to hover, mimicking the behavior of the birds, doing the mission for an additional 3 km at lower altitudes. After that, the UAV restarted the engine and flew again to a height of 5 km. With those unique features, the UAV’s field of view is increased to 1,000 km, far exceeding its counterparts. Lancet-1 has a takeoff weight of 5 kg, is equipped with a 1 kg fragmentation warhead, Lancet-3 weighs 12 kg, carries a 3 kg warhead, and both uses a contact detonator. In terms of power, the warheads of these two LMs are equivalent to medium-sized artillery shells. If the previous generation of Lancet – “Kub” (“Куб”) attacks the target according to specific coordinates, like most foreign UAVs, Lancet does not need any satellite positioning and the accuracy of astonishing hit. What makes this special is that in the event of a loss of contact with the control center, Lancet will switch to automatic target and attack mode. So, even with interference by the enemy, Lancet can still complete the mission. LM can be launched into the air both from the ground and from aircraft carriers at sea, and ships. Lancet chief architect Alexander Zakharov calls these UAVs “aerators” (“воздушноe минированиe”) as the world’s first system designed to defend against UAVs, capable of “drafting” in the air. medium for tens of hours and capable of shooting down UAVs moving at speeds below 300 km / h. Lancet’s design gives it many features and advantages over foreign models; Source: topwar.ru According to the Chief Architect, this “gas” system is being tested, to test the accuracy and combatability of Lancet in real combat conditions against static and dynamic targets; at the moment, it has already killed 100% of its target. According to Zvezda TV, from 2020 until now, both the Russian and Syrian troops have used Lancet to conduct dozens of high-precision attacks on terrorist groups in northeastern Syria. The main feature the designers are working on to improve on is stealth, including “acoustical stealth”, and here thanks to the use of electric motors, the Lancet is unmatched. In addition, the electric motor is more reliable, lighter, more compact, and cheaper. It is believed that laser air defense systems that can burn materials will be highly effective in the fight against drones. Zala Aero has developed new methods of protecting Lancet against such threats – integrating anti-laser protection, but without disclosing details. In the past few years, in the field of reconnaissance and attack, UAVs have made great progress, and a major and important modernization of drones of the Russian armed forces is expected. waiting to take place in the near future. Promising LM models will allow Air Force – Space forces and other structures to acquire fundamentally new capabilities and increase their potential, which will be able to close the gap with major powers. other. However, it takes time, effort and money./.

With modern air defense systems, dealing with such UAVs is both extremely difficult and very expensive. REX-1 electromagnetic gun. (Source: Top War) To deal with small pulse and reconnaissance UAVs, Russia is developing specialized equipment such as the Kalashnikov Military Technical Corporation’s REX-series electric guns or special anti-air missiles being developed by engineers of the Russian Nuclear Center. In 2015, Kalashnikov Military Engineering Corporation acquired a stake in drone maker ZALA Aero to develop unmanned technology and anti-UAV weapons. This group is working to develop electronic warfare systems focusing on fighting against modern UAVs. Among them are two models of non-lethal weapons REX-1 and REX-2 that appeared at military technical exhibitions. REX-1 electromagnetic gun In terms of parameters and weight, the REX-1 electromagnetic gun is compact in size, comparable to modern automatic weapons. According to the manufacturer, the weight of REX-1 reaches 4.5 kg, built-in battery backup, ensures 3 hours operation. The main mission of the REX-1 is to protect critical facilities and enclosed areas from intrusive drone vehicles. This is especially important because modern air defense systems are not always guaranteed to destroy UAVs, and detecting small drones using conventional electronic reconnaissance means is difficult. towel. According to the Kalashnikov Group, REX-1 can interfere with the signals of the US GPS satellite navigation system, the BeiDou of China, the European Galileo or the Russian GLONASS within a radius of 5 km. In addition, at a distance of 1 km, REX-1 can block LTE, 3G, GSM signals, interfering with the running frequencies: 900 Mhz, 2.4 GHz, 5.2-5.8 GHz. Thanks to these capabilities, the REX-1 is able to neutralize enemy drones without causing physical harm. Besides, controlling the REX-1 is quite simple. In addition, the REX-1 is equipped with additional lights, target indicators and various points of view. REX-2 electromagnetic gun In the framework of the Army International Forum 2019, the new version REX-2 launched has been rated by many military experts as the world’s most compact anti-drone gun. The main advantage of the REX-2 is its compact size and light weight. If the original design REX-1 weighed approximately 4.2-4.5 kg, the weight of the non-lethal REX-2 was only about 3 kg and the length should not exceed 500mm. According to the developers, the REX-2 is designed to disable all types of UAVs, including optical devices used on the ground or underwater. The lighter and smaller version of this device effectively overwhelms the signal of the satellite navigation systems within a radius of 2km. The REX-2 works by suppressing radio and satellite navigation signals – technology used in the operation of most modern UAVs. The REX-2 developer wants this new weapon to be able to counter a wide variety of targets since their components are interchangeable, as well as tailored to suit missions. Specifically. Antidrone jet rockets Last March, the sheet Izvestia reported that the experts of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center are developing high-speed anti-drone equipment with jet missiles (antidrone). The antidrone missile consists of the missile hull, a target guidance system and a net-trap container (nets with dumbbells in corners). Missiles carrying “mesh bullets” shoot directly to the enemy’s drones, then open the net, ensuring to capture and disable the UAV. However, experts say, similar UAV trap projects in Russia are not effective enough to intercept high-speed vehicles when performing complex aerial maneuvers. According to the news agency RIA Novosti In order to intercept UAVs with mesh bullets, the antidrone missiles need to be adjusted to launch a network of traps at a predetermined rate. The process above will take steps and be difficult as high-speed targets can quickly get out of range of the device. (According to Top War)

“We are the first manufacturer in the world to combine the internal combustion engine and the electric motor in a small UAV. In flight, internal combustion engines are not the main engine, they only provide energy. for generators, battery buffers and electric motors with electronic systems working, “said project leader Khamitov. Aero Company’s product. The electric motor increases uptime, making the aircraft quieter enough to perform unexpected secret missions. Meanwhile, similar products using other internal combustion engines can hardly do that. It is known that, before announcing the ZALA 421-16E5G, ZALA Aero Company also made a surprise with ZALA 421-16E5. This UAV is not only capable of operating 16 hours continuously in the air but is also designed to return to base in the event of a loss of contact with the control center. In the UAV’s electronics department there are cameras with high resolution cameras, night vision equipment and thermal imaging equipment. The images are stacked to facilitate terrain monitoring at any time of day. “The design of this UAV model uses unique technology to create a quality and reliable product. The engine management system is completely inside and controls every detail of the aircraft. In addition, the ZALA 421-16E5 can also be deployed from an electrically controlled launch system in special terrain areas. This is a feature that is being developed with attention in new UAV models today. Old drones can only take off at flat runways and are carefully prepared, “said Zala Aero design director Alexander Zakharov. In addition, Mr. Zakharov also ensured that the ZALA 421-16E5 protective and landing gear has a special design to make the process safe. What makes this UAV so special is its ability to return to the base in case something goes wrong with the control system. Zala Aero is a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov group mainly develops and manufactures air reconnaissance and reconnaissance weapons. The company’s main products include UAVs, helicopters and hot air balloons.