Russia developing strike kamikaze drones PHOTO

Russia is developing a tubular kamikaze UAV with characteristics similar to the American Switchblade. The newly developed kamikaze drone complex is named Vektor-120.

Kamikaze drones managed to become one of the few weapons systems that determined the course of the Ukrainian-Russian war. Both sides use many different types of kamikaze UAVs with rotating and fixed wings in the field. Ukraine often uses the UAV Switchblade Kamikaze, made in the USA, in the field, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Twitter page of SavunmaSanayiST.com.

Rusya'dan Switchblade muadili İHA: Vector 120https://t.co/KTbusf9Bde

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) July 7, 2023

The Switchblade family of kamikaze drones stands out as a very practical system for soldiers as it is a disposable tube. Impressed by the system's success in the field, Russia began developing a Vector-120 kamikaze UAV with similar characteristics.

As Russia’s TASS news agency reports, it is planned that Vector-120 to have a warhead weighing 220-250 grams. The warhead is expected to have the same level of effectiveness as a standard RPG-7 missile. The first flight tests of the Vector-120 should begin in 2024.

Privet-82, another kamikaze UAV, developed in Russia, will soon enter service. With a 5-kilogram warhead, Privet-82 can reach a range of up to 30 kilometers. The kamikaze UAV system that is said to have a very low cost of $1,300. At launch, the “pickup” technology is used - the drone starts from the rear, and then it will be “picked up” by the operator. When attacking, the drone goes in radio silence mode, that is, the enemy’s electronic intelligence does not detect it.

According to Russian media, a variant of Privet-82 with a range of 250 kilometers and a warhead weighing 16 kilograms is also being developed. However, it is still a matter of curiosity that Russia, which has problems with sensitive hitting, can use kamikaze UAVs in the field with an accuracy of several meters.

In addition, over recent months, US intelligence has learned that Russia and Iran are building a joint plant for the production of UAVs. According to the Financial Times, the said plant has already started production and sent 50 Albatros M5 reconnaissance UAVs to the front.

The plant, operated by Albatros agricultural UAV manufacturing company, was established in Tatarstan, Russia. It is alleged that many engineers and technicians of Iranian origin work at the plant.

The manufacturing facility is expected to increase its production capacity and hire more Iranian engineers and technicians in the future. It is claimed that the production of more advanced UAV systems will be established with the addition of more engineers and technicians to the enterprise.