Kalashnikovs Kamikaze-drone will revolutionize the ground war

February 26, 2019

The Russian armourers Kalashnikov has introduced a suicide-drone. The KUB-BLA was shown as a model at the exhibition IDEX-2019 in Abu Dhabi. It is not a futuristic Vision: The drone is tested according to Kalashnikov and ready for sale.

After the trade fair has published a test video of the drone crashing on their goal – in the style of the Kamikaze pilots of the Imperial of Japan.

The drone itself is relatively small – it measures only 120 centimeters wingspan and 95 inches in length and is powered by a Propeller. The Brummer is 130 kilometres and has a range of about 60 kilometers. The warhead is about three kilograms. Unlike the large drones like the Reaper from the USA or the CH-5 from China the KUB-BLA only use long – she attacks a target and is destroyed in the process.

130 km/h top speed, a limited range and only three kilograms of explosives – that doesn’t sound exhilarating. Nevertheless, experts assume that this drone will revolutionize the ground war, as it had once done the assault rifle Ak-47 from Kalashnikov.

Strengthens the smaller conflict of the participants

Why? Weapons such as the KUB-BLA “democratize” the drone war. Large combat drones possess only a few States. In the West, its distribution is limited by strict rules. But above all, these are great drones are relatively expensive and must be serviced by specialists. Can you successfully use, you have to have air superiority over the war zone.

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KUB-BLA, in contrast, is easy to use and is very reliable. In contrast to the drones from the United States and Israel, the KUB will be “very cheap”, a representative of Kalashnikov. It will be “a step in the direction of a completely new Form of struggle,” said Sergey Chemezov, Chairman of the state-owned Russian arms manufacturer Rostec, the Kalashnikov group.

Surprisingly, the development is not. In October of 2017, defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the procurement priorities of the Kremlin would focus on “shock drones”. In March 2018, the Deputy Director – General of Tekhmash, also part of Rostec, said that the company had begun to develop small drones for melee weapons or. “KUB-BLA was designed to destroy distant ground targets,” explains Kalashnikov. “An unmanned aerial vehicle brings with it a special charge to the coordinates of the target manually or in the image by the control system of the drone set.”

– Autonomous guidance of the drone

is A distinctive feature of the KUB-BLA: you are a Killer robot. The drone should be able to fly over enemy territories, to recognize there themselves “worthwhile” objectives, and these attack. This is a technique, as they also have advanced anti-tank missiles. The drone is so small that the drone half a dozen to a Pick-up could carry.

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Such cheap weapons favour, in principle, the infantry small army and make life for a difficult opponent, leading large-scale technology into the field. His artillery, tanks and command posts can be attacked. For the States that intervene with superior military in other countries, the conduct of the war significantly more complicated when the enemies also have drones from the nature of the KUB-BLA. Also if you have total air domination, you must reckon always with the attacks from the air. A range of 60 kilometers sounds not great, but it means that you must back up each device in a war zone, and a Perimeter of about 100 kilometers in diameter.

experiences from the war in Syria,

In the concept of the new weapons have been incorporated the experience of Russia in Syria. The IS used for the first time, drones are civilian Small with explosives to throw off the soldiers. The Russian air base in Syria has been attacked several times by drones swarms. Also the KUB-BLA is suitable for the swarm attack. Because of their low altitude, these drones are to intercept difficult anyway. The actual idea of the swarm attack is to overwhelm the enemy’s air defenses with a variety of objects. Against the cheap drones are comparatively expensive – to-air missiles have to be used, one must have very many drones to fly to the defense batteries shot teaching.

source: Jamestown, Kalashnikov Group