AK-47 maker unveils 'suicide' drone
Agencies | Feb 25, 2019, 06:24 ISTThe Russian company that made the iconic AK-47 rifle, Kalashnikov, has unveiled a new 'suicide' drone that has the potential to revolutionise drone warfare.
Kalashnikov's deadly kamikaze drone, dubbed KUB-BLA, in essence is a small, slow and inexpensive cruise missile. It is a 4-feet wide drone that can fly for 30 minutes at a speed of 128.7 kilometer per hour, and despite its small size, can carry 2.9 kilogram of explosives before detonating when it reaches its target - far more than commercial drones. It can be controlled remotely and can carry out attacks up to 64 kilometer away with pinpoint accuracy. Further, a release from the arms' giant states the KUB-BLA can attack based on uploading image of the target into the guidance system. A miniature model of the precision weapon was put on display this month at a major defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, where the world's arms companies gather every two years to show off and market their latest wares. A video shows the unmanned military flying machine exploding after being launched from a machine in a snowy region.
"KUB-BLA is designed to destroy remote ground targets, regardless of its secrecy, terrain, both small and high altitudes. This is a very accurate and most effective weapon that is very difficult to fight with using traditional air defence systems," said Sergey Chemezov, head of Rostec, a Russian state giant in charge of development strategic arms companies.
"The advantages of the system are hidden launch, high accuracy of the shot, noiselessness and ease of handling," he added.
According to the manufacturer, the KUB-BLA has been successfully tested and is ready for use.
It's unclear whether the Russian air force requested the drone's development, or Kalashnikov developed the type on its own for the domestic and foreign market.
KUB-BLA apparently is similar in design to Israel's truck-launched Harpy drone, which has been on the market for at least 25 years. The jet-propelled Harpy however is much heavier than KUB-BLA is, and carries a 31 kilogram warhead and costs $70,000.
Kalashnikov's deadly kamikaze drone, dubbed KUB-BLA, in essence is a small, slow and inexpensive cruise missile. It is a 4-feet wide drone that can fly for 30 minutes at a speed of 128.7 kilometer per hour, and despite its small size, can carry 2.9 kilogram of explosives before detonating when it reaches its target - far more than commercial drones. It can be controlled remotely and can carry out attacks up to 64 kilometer away with pinpoint accuracy. Further, a release from the arms' giant states the KUB-BLA can attack based on uploading image of the target into the guidance system. A miniature model of the precision weapon was put on display this month at a major defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, where the world's arms companies gather every two years to show off and market their latest wares. A video shows the unmanned military flying machine exploding after being launched from a machine in a snowy region.
"KUB-BLA is designed to destroy remote ground targets, regardless of its secrecy, terrain, both small and high altitudes. This is a very accurate and most effective weapon that is very difficult to fight with using traditional air defence systems," said Sergey Chemezov, head of Rostec, a Russian state giant in charge of development strategic arms companies.
"The advantages of the system are hidden launch, high accuracy of the shot, noiselessness and ease of handling," he added.
According to the manufacturer, the KUB-BLA has been successfully tested and is ready for use.
It's unclear whether the Russian air force requested the drone's development, or Kalashnikov developed the type on its own for the domestic and foreign market.
KUB-BLA apparently is similar in design to Israel's truck-launched Harpy drone, which has been on the market for at least 25 years. The jet-propelled Harpy however is much heavier than KUB-BLA is, and carries a 31 kilogram warhead and costs $70,000.
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