In A First, Ukraine Grenade Launcher-Armed Drone "Eliminates" Russian Troops

Ukrainian forces are now being supplied with grenade launcher-armed FPV drones that can fire remotely at Russian troops in combat, one of which 'eliminated' a Russian soldier in a first frontline test. 

This is a notable enhancement of similar 15 inch wide drones which were first armed with Kalashnikov rifles. The Ukrainians anticipate using fleets of such drones to advance in front of and cover attacking infantry and armor in yet another lethally effective battlefield innovation. JL

Oleksandr Yan reports in Militarnyi:

The Ukrainian Presidential Brigade's 3rd Mechanized Battalion used a grenade launcher armed 'pocket artillery' 15 inch 'Queen of Hornets' Bulava drone in combat for the first time, eliminating a Russian infantryman. The Ukrainian Wild Hornets developed the drone as a cheap, heavy FPV bomber capable of carrying a payload of up to 9.5 kilograms over short distances or lighter objects up to 17 kilometers. “When the drone returns, it takes less than two minutes to equip it." The grenade launcher’s munition weighs 2 kilograms and produces a thousand fragments upon detonation. The range of its shot is about 100 meters. In the future, assault groups will be covered by drones with grenade launchers and small arms.

The Ukrainian military used a grenade launcher drone in combat for the first time, eliminating a Russian infantryman during a flight.

Bulava unmanned systems unit of the 3rd Mechanized Battalion of the Bohdan Khmelnytsky Separate Presidential Brigade published the footage of the successful flight.

The unmanned systems operators tested “pocket artillery” in the form of a hand-held, disposable grenade launcher on a drone for the first time in combat.

 

A large 15-inch Queen Hornets FPV drone, also known as the “Queen of Hornets,” fired a grenade launcher at an enemy soldier on the battlefield.

 

The Bulava unit first reported testing this system in September last year. However, the unit had been discussing how to try firing a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher with a drone for a year before.

“We had agrodrones, but setting the right angle is difficult. Even if you’re a super pilot, the risks of losing a drone are high, and it’s a very expensive story. And then the Queen of Hornets appeared, which opened up a lot of opportunities,” a fighter of the unit with the call sign Udav shared with ArmyInform.

The Ukrainian company Wild Hornets developed the drone as a relatively cheap and affordable heavy FPV bomber capable of carrying a payload of up to 9.5 kilograms over short distances or lighter objects up to 17 kilometers.

 

According to the developers, the Queen of Hornets modified into a grenade launcher carrier should become an effective tool in urban combat, assault support, and vehicle destruction.

“When the drone returns, it takes less than two minutes to equip it. Considering the flight and reloading, it’s all very fast and convenient. When the situation is such that there are ours in one front door and the faggots in the other, we can give people the opportunity to retreat, cover, and shoot into the floor where the enemy is stationed,” the unit’s fighters share.

 

In the test footage, the unit’s drones were equipped with Bulgarian Bulspike-AP hand-held grenade launchers, which are equipped with the OG-22M high-explosive rocket-propelled grenade, designed to destroy enemy manpower, fortifications, and lightly armored vehicles.

According to the manufacturer, the grenade launcher’s rocket-propelled munition weighs 2 kilograms and produces more than a thousand fragments upon detonation. The range of its direct shot is about 100 meters.

 

In his interview, Udav discussed his vision of the future, where the assault group will be covered by drones with grenade launchers and small arms.

 

“How many of you will move out to shoot back when there are several of them maneuvering around you? Even if they hit you indiscriminately, they will force you to lie down. Or they are advancing, and you stop them by various means. What’s left is damaged but not destroyed equipment. To finish it off, you need several FPV runs. You can spend 5 “birds”. And here, such a repeated history can help out a lot,” the serviceman shared.

Drones from Wild Hornets were used as Kalashnikov rifle carriers and were used in battles with the invaders, but this practice has not yet become widespread.