Click to see full-size image. (Kalashnikov Group)
Russia’s defense giant Kalashnikov on August 10 showcased a Granat-4 drone featuring a new gyro-stabilized electro-optical system with a laser target designation.
“The Granat-4 mobile remote surveillance and retransmission system with GOESCN is designed for remote surveillance using video and thermal imaging equipment at any time of day at a distance of up to 70 km. [It provides] laser target designation for high-precision munitions with a passive laser guidance head,” the product document states, according to TASS.
A laser designator is a device that uses a laser beam to precisely pinpoint a target, enabling weapons guided by semi-active lasers to accurately strike the designated point. Examples of such weapons are the Krasnopol guided artillery round and the Kh-38ML air-launched missile, which are both heavily used in the Russian special military operation zone in Ukraine.
The new system can also automatically track moving and stationary targets from a range of 100 meters up to 12 kilometers.
According to Kalashnikov, the Granat-4 equipped with the new electro-optical system has a takeoff weight of around 55 kg, a flight speed of 90-130 kilometers per hour, a maximum flight altitude of 3000 meters and an operational range of 55 kilometers.
The new version of the Granat-4 will pose a real challenge to Kiev forces. Due to its small radar cross section, and minimal infrared footprint, the drone will likely be able to infiltrate densely defended areas along the front in the special military operation zone, to identify, track and designate targets.
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