(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The Iranian military is reported to be operating suicide drones with designs nearly identical to Russia’s “Lancet” drones, which have been effectively used against Ukrainian forces in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Iranian media, in revealing the emergence of Iran’s latest suicide drone resembling Russia’s “Lancet,” did not disclose the name of this new drone being used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Russian “Lancet” was developed by ZALA Aero, a subsidiary of the renowned Kalashnikov Concern.
The introduction of Iran’s latest suicide drone, developed by its defense industry, is expected to enhance the effectiveness of Iranian forces in combat situations.
Currently, the IRGC and the Iranian Ministry of Defense operate several models of suicide drones, such as Meraj 521 and Sina.
During the recent Great Prophet 18 military exercise, the IRGC significantly invested in suicide drone capabilities, equipping its units with models like “Shahed 131” and “Shahed-136.”
Iran’s interest in the Russian “Lancet” drone’s capabilities and performance—demonstrated in its ability to destroy a variety of targets in Ukraine, including Western-supplied armored vehicles—may have influenced this development.
From February 2022 to December 2023, Russian forces deployed 872 “Lancet” drones, successfully destroying 698 Ukrainian targets.
ZALA Aero reported that the system achieved an 80 percent target destruction rate from the total deployed.
The “Lancet” has become increasingly feared by Ukrainian forces, particularly as it has been upgraded to operate autonomously using artificial intelligence, enhancing its ability to independently detect and engage targets without human control.
In operational tests, the drone has proven capable of striking heavily armored targets, including tanks, artillery, and landing crafts.
One significant enhancement includes an optical module that enables the drone to operate in challenging detection conditions, particularly at night.
Valued at $35,000 each, Russia employs the “Lancet” to target Ukraine’s considerably more expensive military assets, like artillery systems and air defense systems supplied by Western countries.
According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, the “Lancet” has destroyed approximately 45 percent of NATO-supplied Ukrainian artillery equipment.
Russian military sources have also credited the drone with destroying 80 perceny of Ukraine’s mobile M109 Paladin artillery systems and 25% of the American-supplied M777 howitzers. — DSA