"Intellectual weapon": what is unique about Russian drones "Lancet" and "Cube"

Russian defense enterprises are constantly improving and supplying the RF Armed Forces with modern weapons.

This was reported to journalists in the press service of Rostec.

“Rostec enterprises regularly develop and supply modern and high-quality weapons to the troops, a striking example is the Lancet and Kub drones that have proven themselves in the NVO zone, as well as the Tornado-S MLRS.

We are fully fulfilling our obligations under the state defense order, deliveries in a number of areas have increased many times over,” RIA Novosti was told at the state corporation.

"Impossible to hide"

"Lancet" and "Cube" ("Cube-UAV") are loitering ammunition developed by ZALA AERO (part of the Kalashnikov concern).

These products became known to the general public in 2019.

"Lancet" and "Cube" belong to the class of high-precision strike unmanned systems.

Both are launched from a catapult and use electric motors to fly.

Drones can fly tens of kilometers on their way to targets.

At the end of October last year, in an interview with the Vedomosti newspaper, the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, highly appreciated the capabilities of the Lancet and Cuba.

According to him, "Kalashnikov" is ready to meet the needs of the Russian troops in these high-precision systems.

“In those segments of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) where we work, there are results.

Kalashnikov, for example, makes Lancet and Cube kamikaze drones.

There are examples of their successful application on the rollers from the NWO zone.

We are ready to supply them in the required volumes if there is an order,” Chemezov said.

State tests of "Cuba" were completed shortly before the special operation, at the end of 2021.

Among the main tasks of the ammunition are the destruction of enemy manpower and lightly armored vehicles, causing maximum damage to enemy infrastructure.

As follows from the materials of "Rostec" and "Kalashnikov", the advantages of "Cube" are the secrecy of the launch, high accuracy, noiselessness, ease of use.

In addition, this device is a very difficult target for traditional air defense systems.

The length of the "Cube" is 1.2 m, payload weight - 3 kg, speed range - 80-130 km / h, flight duration - 30 minutes.

The drone is capable of hitting a camouflaged enemy target "regardless of its stealth and terrain."

The coordinates of the enemy object are set manually "or from the image from the target guidance load".

• Servicemen of the RF Armed Forces launch a kamikaze drone "Cube" in the Nikolaev-Kryvyi Rih direction

• RIA News

• © Ivan Rodionov

Last year, the Ministry of Defense published a video of a Cube strike on two American-made M-777 155-mm guns.

The footage shows how the drone dived and exploded between two howitzers, hitting artillery equipment and its crews with shrapnel.

A more advanced model of high-precision loitering ammunition, which is used by the RF Armed Forces in the special operation zone, is the Lancet.

It is capable of hitting targets within a radius of up to 40 km and operate without reference to satellite navigation.

The drone is equipped with two guidance systems: combined and coordinate.

“This is an intelligent multi-tasking weapon that is able to independently find a given target and hit it.

The complex includes a high-precision striker, as well as reconnaissance, navigation and communications modules.

It (“The Lancet.” -

) creates its own navigation field and does not require land or sea infrastructure, ”the Kalashnikov website says.

At the same time, the operator of the Lancet controls his actions with the help of a television guidance channel until the moment of impact on an enemy object.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, in the special operation zone, drones successfully hit M-777 howitzers, air defense systems, and vehicles of the Ukrainian army.

According to Rostec, a serious advantage of the Lancet is the high complexity of countering it. 

“Intercepting, destroying or hiding from the Lancet is almost impossible.

Thanks to the built-in anti-laser protection, even the latest laser weapons against drones are not afraid of this drone.

The Kalashnikov materials speak of two modifications of the loitering drone: the Lancet-1 and the Lancet-3.

The first device has a maximum takeoff weight of 5 kg and is equipped with 1 kg of explosives.

The second drone is a heavier product and can deliver a payload of 3 kg to the target.

The speed range of both UAVs is 80-110 km/h.

In addition, there is an upgraded version of the "Lancet" with an increased range and a more powerful warhead (5 kg).

Outwardly, the improved drone differs from its predecessors in a new aerodynamic design with a single large X-shaped wing and X-shaped tail.

In an interview with RT, Alexander Butyrin, a columnist for the magazine "Firing Line", said that the "Cube" and "Lancet" have established themselves as effective weapons for small infantry units in the NVO zone.

“The practice of using Russian kamikaze drones suggests that our servicemen use them quite effectively near the line of contact.

Their launch is almost imperceptible, interception by air defense systems - too.

For the enemy, this is almost always a surprise, ”Butyrin emphasized.

According to the expert, the power of the Lancet and Cuba explosives is sufficient to destroy a wide range of ground targets.

At the same time, Butyrin drew attention to the fact that a further increase in the payload mass of Russian kamikaze drones would make it possible to more confidently hit the heavy equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including Western tanks.

“I think that further modernization of domestic loitering ammunition can develop along the path of increasing power in order to inflict critical damage on almost all types of enemy military equipment.

Regarding the defeat of tanks, both the power of the kamikaze drone and the place where the blow was struck matter.

Without a doubt, in capable hands, such a weapon can become a good anti-tank weapon, ”Butyrin argues.

At the same time, as the expert noted, an increase in the payload mass of Russian loitering ammunition will negatively affect their flight characteristics.

"Lancet" and "Cube" are good because they are light and compact.

The lack of power to a certain extent can be compensated by the number of launched UAVs.

In general, increasing the payload is a justified process, but in order not to lose range and speed, it is necessary to change the aerodynamics, increase the dimensions of the drones, ”Butyrin explained.

Autonomy and accuracy 

Another means of destruction, which is included in the arsenal of the RF Armed Forces and is successfully used in the special operation zone, is the Tornado-S MLRS with a range of over 100 km.

The self-propelled complex is designed to attack infantry, various equipment, stationary and moving single and group targets.

On the wheeled platform "Tornado-S" there are 12 guides for 300-mm rockets.

According to Rostec, the fire capabilities of this system make it possible to "destroy an enemy defense area with an area of ​​12 football fields."

• More accurate and more powerful: Tornado-S MLRS destroy military facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

“The Russian MLRS has an automated fire control system and launch preparation equipment.

Thanks to this, information about the target can be quickly received, processed and corrected.

Autonomous topographic reference of the combat vehicle and terrain orientation are also possible, ”the materials of the state corporation say.

Ammunition "Tornado-S" receive flight mission data due to the control unit, created on the basis of a strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS).

Each projectile can be assigned individual coordinates.

“The Tornado-S guided projectile can be programmed not only for a certain range, but also along the trajectory.

Thus, it becomes possible to launch shells against various targets, ”Rostec emphasizes.

As a military expert, retired colonel Anatoly Matviychuk, stated in a RT commentary, in the special operation zone, Tornado-S demonstrated high efficiency as a means of counter-battery combat and destruction of enemy manpower and equipment.

"Tornado-S" is an excellent rocket-artillery system that allows you to conduct counter-battery combat and perform other combat missions.

Obviously, our army needs as many of these systems as possible,” Matviychuk said.

A similar point of view is shared by military observer Alexander Khrolenko.

According to him, the Tornado-S is significantly superior to its predecessor, the Smerch MLRS.

The expert called high accuracy and range the most important advantage of the new system.

“According to open data, the accuracy of Tornado-S is 15-20 times higher than that of Smerch.

This technique is in great demand in the NWO zone.

Our industry should focus on increasing the production of this system and guided munitions for it.

As far as I understand, this is exactly what is happening now, ”concluded Khrolenko.