The ZALA Aero Company integrated into the Kalashnikov Group within Russia’s Rostec state hi-tech corporation is developing a naval version of the KUB-BLA combat unmanned aerial vehicle that will be the first Russian-made drone of the type, Company Chief for Special Projects Nikita Khamitov said at the Army 2021 forum.
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The updated version has an increased range of application, as well as the ability to perform missions as part of a guided swarm (Picture source: ZALA Aero)
“Anticipating the customer’s requirements, we have started to work on the naval version of the KUB-BLA on our own initiative. It will be carried by high-speed landing boats and special ships, which will considerably enhance their combat capabilities,” Khamitov said.
The UAV is being developed by a subsidiary of the ZALA Aero Company. The drone will have a speed of 80-130 km/h (50-81 mph). It will be able to operate for 30 minutes and have a payload of 3 kg. It will have a length of 1,210 mm, a width of 950 mm and a height of 165 mm.
After the launch, the drone can loiter in the air to detect a target and then attack it from the upper hemisphere, being able to perform a diving pass along the vertical trajectory. This allows it to attack tanks in the field from the upper hemisphere, piercing the turret that has minimal armor protection in the upper part. Ordinary air defense systems face difficulties in countering the company’s advanced drone.
Recall that the first generation of the KUB-UAV high-precision strike unmanned aerial vehicle was presented at the IDEX-2019 International Exhibition in Abu Dhabi (Picture source: Army Recognition)
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