war in Ukraine
Black day for Kiev – Lancet drones destroy four S-300s and damage a German Gepard anti-aircraft tank
Just before impact
© Screenshot Twitter
Putin of all people is using smart weapons that are hitting Kiev hard. The Russians claim to have badly hit Ukrainian air defenses at Kherson in just one day.
The 27.04. was a black day for Ukraine. The Russian military claims to have destroyed four S-300 air defense systems and a German Gepard anti-aircraft tank in the Kherson region in just one day. According to Tass, a Russian spokesman in the Kherson region said: “Yesterday, Lancet bombing raids destroyed four S-300 launchers and a Gepard motorized surface-to-air gun, killing 14 Ukrainian soldiers and wounding another 10.” It is not possible to check whether the videos of the drones were actually recorded in one day. Additionally, another video showed the destruction of a Ukrainian 9A330 TLAR of the Tor air defense system.
However, it doesn’t look like the armored cheetah was actually “destroyed”. The vehicle does not explode after being hit. One may doubt whether the splinters simply rolled off the tank, as German observers rejoiced. The most likely scenario is that the crew survived unharmed and the vehicle suffered only external damage. However, if radar, the twin 35mm cannons or the sensors are affected, the cheetah is likely to be out for a while.
Putin’s most dangerous weapon
All attacks were carried out with Russia’s Lancet kamikazed drone. It is currently the most effective loitering ammunition in Putin’s arsenal. But the Lancet is not infallible; downed weapons have fallen into Ukraine’s hands. The drone is effective against soft targets and lightly armored vehicles, but it can only completely take out a heavily armored vehicle like a main battle tank or the Cheetah with a “lucky hit”.
The attack on the S-300 also raises questions. Either the Ukrainians place the systems very close to the front lines, or the Russians will have to deploy a new, fifth-generation drone that can strike far behind the front lines. It was announced back in March. For Russia, building heavily armed drones makes sense. The bottleneck in production is likely to be the electronics and there is no difference between smaller and larger systems. However, it is also possible that Kiev has stationed the S-300 within a 40-kilometer range of the well-known Lancet 3. In order to be able to fight the Russian jets that have been dropping glide bombs along the front for several weeks.
decoy method
Ukraine describes the Russian tactics against the S-300 as follows: First, an Iranian cheap drone of the Shahed-136 type is launched. She is picked up by the Ukrainian defenses and marked by radar. However, the air defense system, here the S-300, is also discovered and then attacked directly by the Lancet. This tactic is neither new nor particularly sophisticated, military experts had anticipated it when Iranian drones first appeared in Ukraine. But only in the last few weeks have the Russians managed to implement this method effectively.
The Lancet-3 is in use today, it can transport a warhead weighing three kilograms. With it, she can punch through the top of an armored vehicle. However, the more heavily armored front and sides are not. Concrete is broken up to 500 millimeters, which is enough for field fortifications in the Ukraine. The whole drone weighs only 12 kilograms. It is not a quadcopter, the Lancet flies with two pairs of stub wings. Two pairs of X-shaped wings are attached to the front and rear of the fuselage. The drone has an electric motor that drives the two-bladed propeller at the rear. This way she can stay in the air for 40 minutes. The range is 40 kilometers. The Lancet reaches speeds of between 80 km/h and 100 km/h, if it lunges at the target it increases its speed to 300 km/h. The downside is that it has to be launched with a catapult and can’t really land safely if it doesn’t find a target. Therefore, the Lancet is mostly used in tandem with a reusable observation drone. Only when this has identified a target, the kamikaze weapon is started. Videos of the Lancet’s missions therefore mostly come from the observer.
Semiconductors are apparently flowing to Russia
The drone is manufactured by the ZALA Aero Group, which in turn belongs to the Kalashnikov Group. The Lancet was first introduced in 2019 and has already been used by the Russians in Syria. Most of Russia’s combat drones could not prove themselves in combat and delivered only disappointing results. The Lancet is different: it is extremely effective. Probably also thanks to western control electronics.
A new, more powerful version was recently announced. The Lancet-5 is said to increase the payload to 5 kilograms. The wings are also said to have been modified. The new model is said to have received a new optical-electronic guidance system and a control system with new software. The drone can transport various explosive devices. Calculated at 5 kilograms, the effect of the thermobaric warhead should be enormous. The small drones are difficult to hit with conventional ammunition. Airburst projectiles that create a shrapnel mist can only be used by a few dedicated anti-aircraft cannons. The new version of the Lancet is said to have a protective coating against laser weapons.
Even if the cheetah survived the attack, the hit is cause for concern. The anti-aircraft tank Gepard was expressly developed for use at the front. As a close-in defense system, it is intended to protect its own columns and facilities against attacks from the air. But this cheetah was spotted and targeted by a surveillance drone and a lancet. Another point to think about. One hope in the West was that the sanctions would mean that Putin’s arms industry would no longer be able to produce smart weapons because no more semiconductors would come into the country. This hope has not been fulfilled. Russia’s biggest gains in recent months have come from cheap, electronically controlled weapons.