While globally known for its rifles and individual weaponry, the Kalashnikov Group has placed special emphasis in recent years on the design, development, and production of various classes and types of drones. Through its subsidiary companies, notably Zala Aero, the group has been supplying loitering munitions such as the Lancet and KUB to the Russian Ground Forces, which have been used extensively in Ukraine. However, the proliferation of such unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as “kamikaze drones”) necessitates the standardization of various criteria. One of these focuses on the catapult systems used for their launch and deployment in operational areas.
Currently, through Zala Aero, the Kalashnikov Group provides the Ground Forces with a wide range of loitering munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles. The most well-known, due to their use in the Russo-Ukrainian war, are the KUB and Lancet, which even have recently presented versions for export.
In one of its recent announcements, the group revealed the development of a new universal system for launching unmanned aerial systems supplied to the Russian Ground Forces.
In this regard, the statement notes: “JSC ‘Kalashnikov Concern’ is working on standardizing ground launch systems (catapults) for guided loitering munitions (GLM) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of its own production. The project is being carried out at the request of specialized departments of the clients. Currently, prototype testing is underway.”
They also added: “Standardizing the catapult for UAVs and loitering munitions with different weight characteristics is a complex technical solution. The creation of a single ground launch system will allow clients to significantly improve the efficiency of using our drones and reduce the time required to train crews.”
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