Mikhail Danilenko, the Managing Director of the KMZ holding, has announced that the Russian military will soon receive domestically developed naval drones for comprehensive testing by the year's end.
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When laden with a 600 kg payload of explosives, KMZ's naval drone can travel up to 200 km at a maximum speed of 80 km/h (Picture source: topwar.ru)
The Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant is slated to deliver ten unmanned boats to the Russian Ministry of Defense by the end of the year, with these drones earmarked for testing in the Ukrainian war zone. KMZ is presently engaged in negotiations with the military regarding potential serial deliveries of naval drones. The final decision on serial production will hinge on the successful completion of testing on this initial batch. Back in September of this year, reports surfaced indicating that the military department was evaluating the possibility of procuring naval drones developed by KMZ. The holding company has proposed a line of versatile maritime drones constructed on the Vizir-type platform.
Mikhail Danilenko commented, "The Ministry of Defense has already given the green light for the first ten units, which we are committed to delivering by year-end. These will constitute the inaugural pilot batch for testing in the Northwestern Military District."
The unmanned boat developed by KMZ boasts versatility and can undertake a variety of missions. It possesses a cruising range of 600 km when traveling at low speeds. As the speed increases, the cruising range diminishes, but it is capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h. When laden with a 600 kg payload of explosives, the drone can travel up to 200 km. The choice of armament or other equipment for installation on the boat is left to the discretion of the customer. Furthermore, the possibility exists to transform this boat into a naval kamikaze drone, with the holding company already having made developments in this direction.
