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| Specifications of the Zala Lancet-3, Russian Kamikaze Drones Capable of Flying 40 Km Destroy Enemy Targets |
International Military - The Lancet-3 kamikaze drone is the largest variant in the Lancet family designed and developed by the Russian company Zala Aero Group, a subdivision of the Kalashnikov Group. Zala Lancet-3 falls into the category of loitering munitions because it is designed to fly to a certain location, roam the area, and then attack the target.
The Zala Lancet-3 drone was unveiled in June 2019 during the Military Technical Forum, a defense exhibition being held in Patriot Park on the outskirts of Moscow. The Lancet drone is the successor to the flying wing-style loitering munition that Zala had previously developed called the Kub (cube).
Quoted from Armyrecognition, the Zala Lancet-3 first conducted combat operations during the Syrian civil war in November 2020. Now the Zala Lancet-3 drone is widely used by Russian troops on the Ukrainian battlefield to destroy military equipment and armored vehicles provided by the United States and his allies.
The Zala Lancet-3 drone is an intelligent multi-purpose weapon, capable of independently finding and hitting targets. The main role of the Zala Lancet-3 drone is for reconnaissance, surveillance and attack missions.
During the initial flight, after being launched with a catapult that can be mounted on land as well as aboard a ship, the drone can be directed with GPS coordinates or visually. During the terminal section, as it approaches its target, the drone is controlled manually via electro-optical guidance and a TV guidance unit.
The Zala Lancet-3 drone has a unique cylindrical shape, with two pairs of X-shaped wings at the front and rear of the fuselage. As a propulsion, this drone is supported by an electric motor that drives a two-blade propeller at the rear.
The Military Today page reveals that for the standard version of the Zala Lancet-3 drone, it has a maximum range of 40 km and an endurance of about 40 minutes. Such suicide drones are capable of hovering in the air at speeds of 80 to 110 km/h.
However, when it dives down to attack the target it is capable of traveling at speeds of up to 300 km/h to hit the most vulnerable parts.
The Zala Lancet-3 drone is used to destroy enemy military equipment and armored vehicles. The Zala Lancet-3 drone weighs only 12 kg thanks to the use of plastic and composite materials in its structure. Drones can be armed with high explosive (HE) or HE-fragmentation warheads weighing up to 3 kg.