Kalashnikov Starts Delivery of Advanced Quadcopters to Russian Troops

Russia’s Kalashnikov Group said it has begun supplying advanced quadcopters to Russian troops.

"We did not announce this but we are already delivering quadcopters to the army. We have a whole family of them. We are already serial-producing and delivering part of them. Some are being developed and will be mass produced next year. We offer a very diverse range: reconnaissance and other types. This is a very important area and we pay serious attention to it," President of the Kalashnikov Group Alan Lushnikov said on Wednesday.

The delivery includes ZALA 421-24 quadcopter produced by Kalashnikov-owned ZALA AERO demonstrated at the Army 2022 international arms show.

ZALA 421-24 is capable of operating under enemy jamming and flying in complete radio silence mode.

Serial deliveries of ZALA Aero-produced loitering munition ‘KUB-BLA’ to the Russian Army will take place by the end of this year.

Head of Rostec Sergey Chemezov has previously said that the attack drones produced by Kalashnikov were tested in Syria.

KUB-BLA is designed to destroy remote ground targets. A drone with a payload of about 3kg is capable of flying for up to 30 minutes at a speed of 80-130kmph, delivering a charge to the target, regardless of its stealth and terrain. The complex’s dimensions are 1210*950*165 mm.

KUB-BLA delivers special load to the manually set target coordinates or to the image from the guidance target load.

Kalashnikov Group, the maker of the world-renowned AK-47 assault rifle, is also improving small arms based on the experience gained in Ukraine.

"We are in constant contact and are working with the customer, the [Defense Ministry’s] Main Missile and Artillery Department. We are collecting feedback and have a permanent working group that consists of engineers and specialists to interact with the customer," Lushnikov said.

"Improvements are already underway and this is a constant process. When you make adjustments to a standard item, you need to introduce and verify them through testing and subsequently put them into production. This is a constant process," he said, replying to a question about the upgrade of small arms amid the special military operation in Ukraine.