ZALA Lancet

The ZALA Lancet (official designation: Item 52/Item 51) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and loitering munition developed by the Russian company ZALA Aero Group (part of Kalashnikov Concern) for the Russian Armed Forces. It was first unveiled in June 2019 at the ARMY-2019 military expo in Moscow. It is a further development of the ZALA Kub-BLA (also known as KYB-UAV) loitering munition.

ZALA Lancet, front view

Description #

ZALA Lancet, side view
The ZALA Lancet can be used for both reconnaissance and strike missions. It has a maximum range of 40 kilometres (25 mi) and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of up to 12 kilograms (26 lb). In combat mode, it can be armed either with high explosive (HE) or HE-fragmentation warheads. It features optical-electronic guidance and TV guidance unit, which allows the munition to be controlled during the terminal stage of flight. The drone features intelligence, navigation and communications modules. According to Zala Aero Chief Designer Alexander Zakharov, the Lancet can be used in so called “air mining” role. In this role, the drone dives at maximum speed up to 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph) and strikes enemy unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) mid-flight. Lancet can be launched via catapult launcher from ground or sea platforms like the Raptor-class patrol boats. The drone is powered by an electric motor.
Russian sources state a Lancet costs about 3 million rubles ($35,000).
Lancet utilizes the Jetson TX2 module by NVIDIA as its onboard control equipment and the Xilinx Zynq SoC module by Xilinx, an American company owned by AMD, for implementing programmable logic.

Operational history #

Syrian Civil War #

The Lancet has been combat tested in Syria during the Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war since at least November 2020. In April 2021, it was engaged in strikes against Tahrir al-Sham in the Idlib Governorate.

Russian invasion of Ukraine #

On 8 June 2022, Russian defence corporation Rostec announced that Lancet and KUB drones were deployed during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. A month later, the first video of their combat use in Ukraine emerged. In late 2022, multiple videos appeared on social networks showing Lancet drones striking a variety of Ukrainian military targets, such as air defence systems, self-propelled howitzers, tanks and military trucks. Among the targets damaged or destroyed were S-300 missile systems, a Buk-M1 missile system, a T-64 tank, Western-supplied M777 and FH70 howitzers, as well as M109, AHS Krab and CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. On 4 November 2022, a Gyurza-M-class gunboat of the Ukrainian Navy was damaged by a Lancet drone, in what was the first time a Lancet attacked a naval target during the war.
While Russia uses long-range Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drones against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the Lancet is employed as a precision battlefield weapon against high-value military targets, usually located by a reconnaissance drone before it gets launched. Although the Lancet is recorded having hit a number of Ukrainian targets, there are also numerous misses. Even if it hits it does not guarantee a kill, sometimes causing minor damage that can be repaired. According to Forbes, Russia may be prevented from producing Lancets in large numbers due to international sanctions, as Russian drones are dependent on imported electronics and they are having difficulties in finding alternatives. However, in July 2023, television news footage showed a massive new facility with hundreds of Lancets being manufactured as the makers claimed that production was being tripled.
In February 2023, a Lancet drone targeted and struck a rare Ukrainian T-84 tank. In March 2023, a British-supplied Stormer HVM air-defence system was struck by a Lancet drone for the first time.
According to Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx, as of 3 March 2023, Lancet drones scored more than 100 hits on Ukrainian targets during the war. Most of the targets were towed artillery and self-propelled artillery systems. A Russian source also made claims about the high efficiency of the drone.
On 18 April 2023, reports emerged of the destruction of a Ukrainian patrol boat on the Dnipro River after being struck by a Lancet drone. On 27 April 2023, video emerged confirming a Lancet strike on a Ukrainian Tor SAM system. The same day, other videos showing Lancet drones destroying one 5P85S launcher for the S-300 missile system, and damaging another, appeared on social networks.
During the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, a TRML-4D multi-functional radar from the IRIS-T SLM air defense system was destroyed, and a Leopard 2A6 tank was heavily damaged by Lancet drones. On 22 July 2023, two Lancet drones struck a Ukrainian Aspide air defense system’s fire control station and a launcher, with the fire control station receiving a direct hit.
According to LostArmour, an open-source intelligence website, as of 3 August 2023, Russia conducted a total of 507 Lancet strikes on various Ukrainian weaponry since July 2022. Among these, 170 targets were destroyed, while 269 targets suffered substantial damage. The drone failed to strike a target in 28 instances, and outcomes remained unconfirmed for 40 sorties. Over half of the Lancet’s engagements focused on artillery installations, encompassing 106 self-propelled cannons, 131 howitzers and mortars, and 18 multi-rocket launchers. Lancets destroyed or damaged 41 defense complexes of various types, along with 43 radar and communication hubs. Additionally, the drone caused destruction or damage to 67 tanks.
On 19 September 2023, Russian sources claimed a Lancet, for the first time, conducted a strike against a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter stationed at Dolgintsevo airfield near Krivoi Rog in the Dnipropetrovsk region, some 70 km from the front line on the Dnieper River, indicating the maximum range of the drone had been enhanced from the previously-declared 40 km. The MiG was reportedly hit near the cockpit. On 11 October 2023, another video showcased the Lancet striking a parked Ukrainian Su-25 at Dolgintsevo airfield.
According to LostArmour, as of 3 October 2023, Russia conducted a total of 667 Lancet strikes on various Ukrainian weaponry since July 2022. Among these, 210 targets (31%) were destroyed, while 355 targets (53%) suffered substantial damage. The drone failed to strike a target in 48 instances, and outcomes remained unconfirmed for 52 sorties. Nearly half of the Lancet’s engagements focused on artillery installations, encompassing 142 self-propelled cannons (64% of Ukrainian self-propelled gun losses), 170 howitzers and mortars, and few dozens of MLRS launchers. 25% percent of the targets comprised tanks and lighter armored vehicles, 10% were motor vehicles and other relatively low-value targets. Another 15% of the targets were very high value: surface-to-air missile launchers and radar systems.
On 1 November 2023, the British Ministry of Defence stated that the Lancet was highly likely to be one of the most effective new capabilities deployed by Russia in Ukraine over the previous 12 months. Ukrainian commander-in-chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, wrote that Russia was deploying Lancets “widely and effectively” and said countering them was “quite difficult.”

Variants #

Lancet-3
Basic and bigger variant with a 40-minute endurance with a maximum payload of three kilograms (6.6 lb) and a 12 kg (26 lb) MTOW. The maximum speed is 80–110 kilometres per hour (50–68 mph).
Lancet-1
A smaller version of the Lancet-3. It carries a one-kilogram (2.2 lb) payload and has a 5 kg (11 lb) MTOW. The endurance is 30 minutes.
Izdeliye-53 (or Product 53)
Previous version of the Lancet drone. The drones have a new tube launcher which can contain up to four Lancets and the drones can relay information between themselves about armored vehicles and their concentration and attack fully autonomously, choosing targets from pre-set categories. It has a maximum payload of five kilograms (11 lb). Its operational deployment begun in October 2023 against Czech-made Ukrainian artillery systems.
**Izdeliye-55 (or Product 55)**The latest version of the Lancet drone, unveiled on December 29, 2023. The new drone looks like one of the first lancets. The differences are in size: it is smaller, and the maximum load is about 2 kilograms. This drone has 4 mini engines. This makes the drone more stable, and the maneuverability is approaching the performance of fpv drones. As of today (01/13/2024), there is no list of new products on the official websiteRussian troops in Ukraine have begun using upgraded Lancet loitering munitions with an increased flight duration of one hour and a more powerful warhead weighing more than five kilograms, which is at least two kilograms more than the basic version of the drone. Lancets are used to attack personnel with a high explosive fragmentation or thermobaric warhead, and armored vehicles with a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead. The larger variant is designated Izdeliye 51, while the smaller one, with a three-kilogram warhead, is designated Izdeliye 52 and reportedly was upgraded with a larger warhead and a new EO guidance system as of March 2023.

Countermeasures #

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian forces began developing countermeasures in response to Russia’s tactical use of Lancet drones on the battlefield. Ukrainian soldiers began building cages around their artillery pieces using chain link fencing, wire mesh and even wooden logs as part of the construction. The cages were “mainly intended to disrupt Russian Lancet munitions”, an analyst told Radio Liberty. A picture supposedly taken from January 2023 showed the rear half of a Lancet drone that failed to detonate due to such cages, showing that they occasionally succeeded in disrupting Lancet attacks. Ukrainian forces also had begun using inflatable and wooden decoys shaped like vehicles and weapons systems, such as HIMARS, to deceive and divert Lancet attacks.

Operators #

In November 2023, Aleksandr Mikheyev, the director of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, said Russia was not exporting the Lancet due to high domestic demand, specifically by the Russian Armed Forces.

 Russia

•  Russian Ground Forces

#