Russia’s Lancet Loitering Munition Takes Out Its First HIMARS In Ukraine

The Russian military has destroyed an American-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher of Kiev forces using a Lancet loitering munition.Show more

The launcher was targeted some two kilometers away from the settlement of Krasny Liman in the Donetsk direction. Video footage of the strike was published by prominent Russian journalist Vladimir Solovyov on his official Telegram channel on April 28.

The United States has supplied Kiev forces with at least 39 HIMARS launchers since the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. These systems are mainly armed with M30/M31 series GMLRS GPS-guided rockets, which have a range of more than 70 kilometers.

Many of Ukraine’s HIMARS launchers have been already destroyed or damaged by the Russian military. However, this is the first documented strikes against the system using a Lancet loitering munition.

The Lancet was developed by the ZALA Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russia’s defense giant Kalashnikov Concern. The company produces two versions of the loitering munition, the Izdeliye-52 with an endurance of 30 minutes and a one-kilogram warhead and the larger Izdeliye-51 that has an endurance of 40 minutes and is armed with a warhead weighting three kilograms.

The loitering munition flies towards the designated area with a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system. After arriving in the area, the operator utilizes an onboard electro-optical system via a two-way data-link to detect, track and lock on the target. A laser-ranging system then controls the detonation of the warhead.

Ukrainian attempts to stop Lancet loitering munitions with air defense fire, electronic warfare or countermeasures have been mostly unsuccessful.

Source @South Front