Loitering ammunition "Lancet-3"

Loitering ammunition of the Lancet family, photo: rostec.ru

February 18, 2022 RIA journalists News referring to their own sources, they spoke about the use of new Russian loitering ammunition in Syria, we are talking about a modernized drone-kamikaze from the Lancet family. These loitering munitions are designed and manufactured by the Izhevsk company ZALA AERO, which is organizationally part of the Kalashnikov group of companies.

ZALA AERO specializes in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, being one of the leading Russian developers in this area. The company's products are used in both the military and civilian sectors. Eg, Drones ZALA are used by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as representatives of Russian business. In particular, drones are actively used to monitor oil and gas industry facilities, surveying more than five million kilometers of pipelines and associated infrastructure every year.

Loitering ammunition has become a relatively new direction for the company from Izhevsk. Currently, the company offers two lines of such devices at once: loitering ammunition of the Lancet family and KUB-UAV. The debut of both strike systems took place as part of the Army-2019 military-technical forum.

What is known about the Lancet-3 complex?

Currently, the Lancet family has two versions of the strike drone. These are loitering ammunition "Lancet-1" and "Lancet-3", which have the same airframe and are similar in the use of some internal systems. The main difference between the devices is their size, which directly affects the combat capabilities and flight performance.

It can be noted that this is a family of scalable devices, so in the future there is a chance to see a more powerful Lancet drone, made according to the same design scheme. Both models - both "Lancet-1" and "Lancet-3" are built according to the aerodynamic scheme of double X-shaped plumage. In an interview with the Rostec State Corporation in 2019, Alexander Zakharov, CEO of ZALA AERO, said that such a scheme on loitering ammunition is their know-how.

Loitering ammunition of the Lancet family, a frame from a ZALA AERO video

According to RIA Novosti, the updated attack drone used in Syria differed from those presented earlier by a modified aerodynamic design. Instead of a symmetrical x-shaped plumage, he received one large x-shaped wing and a smaller x-shaped plumage in the tail. There are currently no photos or renders of the upgraded version of the Lancet-3 in the public domain.

According to Zakharov, the use of X-shaped plumage provides loitering ammunition with advantages when diving at a target and performing maneuvers, and the chosen scheme also made it possible to reduce the size of the product. The devices are really quite compact, the weight of the Lancet-1 model is 5 kg, the maximum take-off weight of the Lancet-3 model has reached 12 kg. Weight reduction is also facilitated by the widespread use of composite materials and plastics in the construction.

Due to the increased size of the Lancet-3, it carries a large combat load. The model is distinguished by increased flight time and the ability to carry a warhead of increased power. The mass of the payload of the loitering ammunition "Laneset-3" has increased from 1 to 3 kilograms. The device is able to stay in the air for up to 40 minutes (“Lancet-1” - up to 30 minutes), developing a speed of up to 110 km / h in flight. In addition, the manufacturer reported that the complex is able to hit targets at a distance of up to 40 km.

The devices received the name "Lancet" not by chance and not only because of their appearance. The main thing is the high accuracy of the devices. A drone can fly tens of kilometers and strike a target with surgical precision. Unlike the KUB-BLAH model, the strike can be observed online, up to the contact of the loitering ammunition with the target. This is achieved due to the presence of a television communication channel on the drone.

A shot of hitting targets from a promotional video on the ZALA AERO website

The developer's website states that the Lancet-3 complex received several targeting systems: coordinate, with the help of optoelectronic means and combined. At the same time, the drone has a television communication channel that transmits a real-time image of the target and allows you to confirm the success of hitting a given object. On ZALA AERO promotional videos, you can see how the Lancet hits a standing excavator and a mock-up of a target moving along the railroad.

Both devices: both Lancet-1 and Lancet-3 are equipped with electric motors. This is the standard solution for drones under the ZALA brand. The use of an electric motor in this case is not so much a tribute to environmental protection as a guarantee of the inconspicuous use of loitering ammunition. Electric motors are smaller and lighter than their traditional counterparts, and also unrivaled in terms of acoustic visibility.

It is reported that the Lancet complex, in addition to the strike drone itself, also includes a reconnaissance, navigation and communications module. This module is able to determine coordinates from different sources and objects. This is a noticeable difference between the Lancet and many foreign analogues that need satellite navigation. The developers have also worked on the security of the device. It is reported that the "Lancets" received a system of anti-laser protection, which should protect them from modern samples of laser weapons, which is being actively tested as a weapon against drones.

Prospects for loitering ammunition

Loitering ammunition appeared relatively recently. They became widespread only in the 2010s. All such devices are UAVs, which have an integrated warhead of various sizes. Such drones can make long flights over a given area or battlefield, independently detecting a target, and then hitting it from a dive, like guided missiles. The ability of such UAVs to stay in the air for a long time, looking for a target or moment to strike, led to the appearance of the name “loitering ammunition”.

Loitering ammunition of the Lancet family, photo: rostec.ru

Until a certain point, such developments were ignored in the Russian army. A possible explanation could be the modest strike capabilities of such drones compared to artillery systems. It is possible that the Russian Ministry of Defense considered other tactical schemes: including the use of light reconnaissance drones in conjunction with various strike weapons or heavy reconnaissance and strike UAVs - carriers of their own weapons.

With the latter, the Russian army did not particularly get along, although work in this direction is continuously being carried out. The Orion reconnaissance and strike drone is as close as possible to the start of mass production. Perhaps, against this background, the Russian military showed interest in intensifying work on the creation of their own loitering ammunition, the pioneer in the development of which Israel is considered.

Today, in addition to Israel, the United States, Turkey, China and a number of European states have similar weapons systems. Russia has been added to them, which creates its own line of such systems, counting, among other things, on export deliveries of loitering ammunition. All these models exist in the niche that has taken shape at the moment of relatively affordable means of delivering precision strikes against the enemy.

The range of targets hit by such UAVs is huge. Loitering munitions, which Israel initially developed as a way to destroy elements of enemy air defense systems, can be used to strike at a wide variety of ground targets, both stationary - for example, artillery pieces, firing points, troop concentrations, and mobile - for example, vehicles.

Loitering ammunition of the Lancet family, photo: rostec.ru

In Syria, the Russian military has already tested the Lancet-1 and Lancet-3, striking at terrorist positions. Similar loitering ammunition was used to destroy militant vehicles on the move, artillery firing positions, and militant firing points. The X-shaped scheme of the Lancet allows it to maneuver effectively, which makes it possible to hit moving objects, such a scheme makes it similar to high-precision missiles.

The advantages of such devices provide them with a cloudless future. One of the most important is low visibility for air defense systems. Small-sized loitering ammunition made of polymer composite materials seriously reduces the possibility of being detected by radar. Such devices are almost invisible to enemy radars.

An important plus is the price of the device, which is almost always lower than standard weapons. Launching a loitering drone is always cheaper than firing a high-precision projectile. In addition to the most high-precision projectile, you must always have at hand also a suitable artillery system with a crew or crew.

Comments

[Vladimir_2U]

The use of an electric motor in this case is not so much a tribute to environmental protection

Yes, battery scraps directly have a life-giving effect on the environment.

Launching a loitering drone is always cheaper than firing a high-precision projectile.

In my opinion, it is debatable, at least in comparison with barreled artillery. The self-propelled guns and the calculation are of course expensive, but I think the GOS of the UAV is not worth a penny, as is the glider, by the way.

[Andy_nsk]

In my opinion, it is debatable, at least in comparison with barreled artillery. The self-propelled guns and the calculation are of course expensive, but I think the GOS of the UAV is not worth a penny, as is the glider, by the way.

The airframe, given that it is made mainly of plastic, should not be expensive if mass-produced and properly organized (even considering that it is a composite). The coordinate guidance system (according to GLONASS) is the most primitive device: a printed antenna and a microcircuit. The optical system is much more complicated, but also not so expensive. It makes sense to compare UAVs with high-precision projectiles, I think that the price should be somewhere nearby (if there is no corruption component). For a projectile, making a seeker and any electronics is much more difficult, given the large overload when fired.
Personally, I don’t like the operating time (40 minutes) in this UAV, it will do to destroy firing points and personnel, but something more impressive is needed to destroy air defense systems and armored vehicles in the depths of defense. Strongly everything smacks of a club of young technicians.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote from Andy_nsk

For a projectile, making a seeker and any electronics is much more difficult, given the large overload when fired.

More difficult, but taking into account the fact that the UAV-kamikaze CAM is looking for a target (as it is written in the article), and artillery shells, even the most homing , shoot at already explored targets, then the UAV seeker will still be more expensive. Well, in the case of an independent search, the UAV will also need some kind of "mind" will be needed.

[Dart2027]

Quote from Andy_nsk

Strongly everything smacks of a club of young technicians.

More like assigned tasks. It is logical to use such babies to equip ordinary infantry at the level of a battalion company.

[KCA]

40 minutes is about 50 km flight range and 10 minutes to search for a target, here the deployment and launch time of the UAV is more important, as well as the time for folding the complex and the autonomy of the UAV itself, when the control center rolled away to the rear after launch

[Recoil]

The fact of the matter is that he does not have a GOS. Channels - television and by coordinates + mixed.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote: Rollback

The fact of the matter is that he does not have a GOS. Channels - television and by coordinates + mixed.

Well then, what kind of independent search can we talk about? Yes, you didn't read the article carefully.

"Lancet-3" received multiple targeting systems: coordinate, with the help of optoelectronic means and combined. At the same time, the drone has a television communication channel

The TV channel is not for guidance, but for confirmation, and the rest is the GOS, except for the coordinate one.

Such drones can make long flights over a given area or battlefield, independently detecting the target

It's just that the GOS are poorly adapted to search for targets. To do this, they need to be greatly complicated, or additional search equipment should be installed.
Well, it’s strange to read about a certain cheapness of the UAV, the airframe itself plus the engine-battery, steering gears, the assembly of all this is probably manual. Is it really much cheaper than a machined projectile body? There, it’s really a business put on stream, rotor lines, in my opinion, even.

[Vadim237]

Together with the Lancets, you need to launch a reusable reconnaissance UAV with an IR camera.

[telobezumnoe]

homing is not necessarily active, there are passive IR and also television, that is, the search for a target occurs as in a face detection system, similar algorithms are available in almost every smartphone, there is a question of the quality of optics and algorithms that are capable of isolating a target on the ground, perhaps the operator is involved in this

[Cottodraton]

The same mavic has the function of following the object, and along the contour. Slightly modify and now homing

[Mavrikiy]

I flew in Syria, it's time to fly into the sky of Donbass. Bandera people sing a lullaby and put them to sleep, otherwise they make noise.

[svp67]

And here a "test site" for their wax tests is planned ... And it would not be bad to cross these "Lancets" with "Orions"

[501 Legion]

for the current situation in the LDNR, the most important thing is to launch 100 pieces to start with to knock out all the artillery and tanks, and you need to cover entire areas and destroy equipment pointwise.

[nickname7]

for the current situation in the LDNR, the most important thing is to launch 100 pieces

It should have been launched yesterday, but the problem is that these are the same "layouts" and "cartoons" that cannot be launched in reality.
Although there may not be enough money to launch mass production, there is enough for the World Cup.

[Maks1995]

Well done. started production fairly quickly.
although there is no information about the number yet.

According to theory, because of the cheapness, they should be guided on a tip even though they have cheap brains to hold the target. Who knows?

[Usher]

It's always like this with us, no one knows anything, and then bam. Hundreds of targets hit by cruise missiles that no one has heard of)

[Andy_nsk]

The brains of all mobile devices are approximately the same, these are not microprocessors (as in personal computers), but microcontrollers (this is "all in one" - a processor, memory (RAM and ROM), ports, timers and other peripherals. Now they use RISC controllers on the core ARM Cortex, in particular, the STM32 controller line is widespread, Cortex is in smartphones and will soon be in every iron, we also use them in our equipment.The price is quite modest 200 ... 2000 rubles, depending on the version.
It is forbidden to use imported microcircuits in the military, so developers are forced to be content with Zelenograd controllers, they have much more modest functionality, and the price is an order of magnitude higher (as I heard from colleagues, I myself have not worked with them - God bless you, but in the light of new sanctions, we are thinking about it ).
"Artificial intelligence" - so far these are stories from TV for housewives. In all such devices, the operator must find the target with his eyes, poke at it and send a command to destroy it. After that, the electronics will track the target and direct the missile / bomb or the UAV itself at it.
As for the coordinate systems (GPS / GLONASS), it is still easier there - coordinates are entered - and let's go.

[Maks1995]

Thanks for the specifics!

[Zaits]

Quote from Andy_nsk

developers are forced to be content with Zelenograd controllers, they have much more modest functionality, and the price is an order of magnitude higher

Not certainly in that way.

An STM32 class microcontroller is not enough for such cases (even with a simple processing of a video stream, it will not cope, and there, it seems, it is far from the simplest). But quite suitable and very sophisticated ones are also produced in our country. Well, we don't have everything, but that's not the point. Either way, it's yours. And the price tags are "acceptance". The MIL-grade among the bourgeoisie is also about an order of magnitude more expensive than commerce, and without it it’s low.

Another question is that there are other "bottlenecks" in such a technique. But it looks like the developers did a pretty good job.

[Andy_nsk]

An STM32 class microcontroller is not enough for such cases (even with a simple processing of a video stream, it will not cope

Well hello! We use STM32F407VGT with Digital camera interface (DCMI), everything is in time, the controller is specifically focused on processing the video stream.

And the price tags are "acceptance". The MIL-grade among the bourgeoisie is also about an order of magnitude more expensive than commerce, and without it it’s low.

You are generally right about acceptance, of course, military ones are always more expensive (gilded ceramic-metal cases of Zelenograd m / s), I am well aware of this: our equipment operates even in a wider temperature range than military equipment (150 degrees C versus 125 for the military) , but the main problem of the high cost of all domestic microcircuits and radio components is small-scale production, which does not make it possible to make their production profitable.

[Zaits]

Well, the only question here is how exactly to use STM32 on a video stream. MPEG in good quality with good resolution, and yok. And shove "raw" into the radio channel - so-so idea. Not to mention the fact that sometimes you need to think about a picture. But if the tasks are simpler, then yes, the protsik is cute, and a lot of things are good for something. Like the entire STM32 family, however.

Low serialization is no longer as critical as it used to be. But there are slippery moments, yes. First of all, it concerns the cost of licenses and IP cores.
But if there are requirements for glad. durability is not an issue at all. No one has a big serial there. But this is generally a separate issue.

[riwas]

Loitering ammunition "Lancet-3"

It seems that now, in Ukraine, the widespread use of this ammunition will save more than one soldier's life.

[Simple]

Fairly clear weather over Ukraine today.
On the flanks when moving military units - that's it.

[Eule]

By the way, this ammunition is described in texts that have not been recognized as extremist as a "six-winged seraph". As times and moreover region occurring.

[Mister X]

Quote: eule

extremist texts as "six-winged seraph"

Strange, it's from the Jewish and Christian religions.

[surok1]

[quote] Launching a loitering drone is always cheaper than firing a high-precision projectile. [/ quote] In my opinion, it is debatable, at least in comparison with cannon artillery. The self-propelled guns and the calculation are of course expensive, but I think the GOS of the UAV is not worth a penny, as well as the glider, by the way. [/ Quote]
Now cameras recognize faces from any angle and in motion. They made a lot of them.

[Ros 56]

Ponty beat all the masters, but for some reason they are not used in Ukraine.

[Dmitry K]

I don't know how much a homing head costs. But I understand for sure that the life of our Heroes is the most precious thing. And the presence of such smart, high-precision guided missiles in combination with attack and reconnaissance drones would reduce the loss of personnel on marches (it doesn’t fit at all, how can this be allowed?) And they would knock out the Nazis from residential areas and shelters. They would detect the movement of MLRS and destroy them without loss. This is a vital necessity. All the armies of the world have such weapons. The Turks have such drones. They went on. From simple MLRS they made high-precision inexpensive weapons. Which is aimed at the target by laser and gps. When did we upgrade our Tornadoes and Tornadoes? Lots of unanswered questions. The price of all this, the death of our guys.

[engineer1976]

Gliders can be riveted as much as you like, but what about domestic electronics inside them?
Is there anyone in the subject?

[E B]

it’s clear that these are the Ukrainian fuel storage facilities and all sorts of armored personnel carriers and army trucks in the rear - these are our saboteurs at the forefront of the army, but something is not visible that they work, although the Americans sent hundreds of drones to the bloody clown like phoenix300 and 600 where is our mass production?

[Igor K]

To increase the range on the march, you need to use an internal combustion engine, then shoot it, switching to an electric propulsion in the target area.
This will give a significant increase in range.