During an official presentation, Kalashnikov unveiled to officials from the Russian Ministry of Defense their new line of drones that could potentially equip units of the Land Forces in the near future. The unmanned aerial vehicles belong to the surveillance and reconnaissance segment, with the new data transfer system Kvazimakhta also being showcased.
Despite being globally renowned for their AK rifle family, the Kalashnikov has become one of the most important producers of unmanned aerial vehicles and related equipment for military use through its associated research centers. This responds to the increasing requirements of the Russian Armed Forces to have a wide range of UAVs capable of fulfilling different roles on the battlefield. This is evidenced by the presence of unmanned aerial vehicles of various sizes and capabilities carrying out missions such as surveillance, reconnaissance, target designation, and attack, to name just a few examples.
Returning to the context of the presentation, and focusing on combat between small infantry units, Kalashnikov introduced the Karakurt mini UAV, which stands out for “its maneuverability to be launched from a compact transport and launch container in conditions of limited space.” Its main function is surveillance and reconnaissance.
The other unmanned aerial vehicle is known as the SKAT 350 M, which, as announced, has already been deployed in military operations in Ukraine, capable of performing reconnaissance missions with a 24-hour autonomy and detection capabilities in optical and infrared ranges.
Finally, complementing these two new UAVs, Kalashnikov introduced the “Kvazimakhta” system, which was presented as a system that acts as a data relay between drones and ground information stations in various sectors of the battlefield. However, no further details or additional images were provided to determine the potential use of this new system.
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