Zelensky shown new Ukrainian kamikaze drone

This was reported by mil.in.ua, Ukrinform saw.

"The drone, the name of which remains classified, is already being used on the front lines against Russian invaders and has gained its first victories, successfully hitting a Russian anti-aircraft missile system," the report reads.

In the future, the new model should become a tool for hitting both surface and air targets thanks to its velocity and a powerful warhead.

By hunting down enemy reconnaissance drones that coordinate Russian air and missile strikes behind Ukrainian defense line and on the front, the drone will be able to degrade Russia’s strike capability.

The drone is expected to occupy the same niche as Russia’s Lancet, delivering high-precision strikes on high-value equipment at a long range.

Like most drones, it is run by an electric motor and launched from a catapult, making it user-friendly.

The new X-shaped body provides high maneuverability and the ability to hit static and moving targets along various trajectories. In particular, it is capable of hitting the target at a 90 degree angle.

Depending on the selected target, a warhead weighing up to 3 kg can be installed. It comes in different versions: fragmentation, thermobaric, or armor-piercing with a strike core. The latter can penetrate up to 40 mm of armor and cause serious damage to equipment, creating a large number of secondary fragments when the hull gives in.

To intercept aerial targets, the drone will be equipped with a fragmentation warhead, initiated upon collision or when approaching the target, via a signal from the operator's remote control. The blast wave and debris flow is set to destroy the fuselage of the enemy reconnaissance drone, effectively taking it down.

"The drone’s max speed does not exceed 180 kmh, so its main targets can be objects moving slower than 130 kmh. This is Russia’s Orlan-10, Zala, and Lancet drones, although theoretically these could be helicopters hovering or flying on opposite courses,” the report reads.

An important element of the new Ukrainian strike system is a drone that works in tandem with the loitering munition, performing the tasks of identifying a target, tracking while the strike drone is approaching, and verifying damage.

Thanks to the repeater, the kamikaze drone is able to operate at a longer range with good communication ensured. The operator can thus deal with the "radio horizon" issue and not lose video signal and control over the drone until it hits the target.

All drones are equipped with highly reliable encrypted communication modules (AES256 standard), which allows them to work amid intense EW suppression.

Another important innovation was the integration of the machine vision system, which provides target locking capture and automatic targeting. This technology is already being actively used by the Ukrainian military to hit targets despite heavy Russian EW presence.

Today, the unmanned system is at the finalization stage, while already being tested on the battlefield, hitting enemy targets.

The cost of one such unmanned aircraft has not been disclosed but is reportedly commensurate with that of most Ukrainian operational-tactical-level drones, as per developers.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, President Zelensky said the domestic defense industry has a rather high potential while Ukraine is working on increasing the financing of domestic production.

Photo: mil.in.ua