Surgical precision
On the work of the ZALA «Lancet» Command and Control Unit of the «Centre» Army Group – in the latest instalment of the column #operators.
High automation, excellent image transmission quality, the ability to equip the warhead with various munitions, and well-practiced tactics of employment in conjunction with reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles – all of this makes the «Lancet» an indispensable tool on the battlefield. They easily hit heavy armoured vehicles, engineering structures, and various special equipment – in short, anything that can give the enemy an advantage. However, the use of loitering munitions is not a simple matter. It requires personnel to have high technical skills and an understanding of the device's construction.
– The work in our unit is organised so that every soldier or officer is interchangeable – says Lancet operator Eduard Mkrtchyan. – For example, we don't have a situation where only a technician is responsible for repairs. Every operator must also be able to handle any maintenance, so that the unit is ready regardless of the circumstances. Everyone is also required to be able to pilot. And not just the munition itself, but also the reconnaissance drone that provides target designation. After all, we all went through the same training course, studied the design of the Lancet, its application and capabilities.
It should be noted separately that training in the operation of the loitering munition is carried out in close contact with representatives of the manufacturer, and this contact does not cease even after the training has concluded.
– We are always in contact with the manufacturer, – Eduard continues. – Firstly, we can request their assistance in case of any problems. It’s like a technical support line. Secondly, if we have suggestions regarding further design modifications, we can easily make them without intermediaries. We contact them and pass them on, and the manufacturer considers them. They always provide feedback. It’s not a quick process, but it’s very important in itself. You could say we also have a hand in the development of future models.
Despite the fact that the «Lancet» is one of the first mass-produced loitering munitions and its modernisation potential has not yet been reached, the capabilities of the product are already impressive today. According to Eduard, his crew managed some time ago to precisely hit a UAV control point located over 80 kilometres away in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The long list of targets destroyed by the crew also includes heavy equipment. Eduard and his comrades have had to destroy not only the usual T-80, T-72 and T-64 tanks, but also German-made «Leopard 1» vehicles.
– It's hard to recall all the destroyed targets off the top of my head. We burned a lot of tanks with cumulative charges, and even more APCs. And we don't even count things like dugouts, artillery pieces, or various equipment like radar stations. Sometimes we hit planned targets, and sometimes we operate in free hunt mode. We work a lot, and the effectiveness is high. This is due to both our own merit and the developers of the «Lancet».
In total, the unit carried out five hundred sorties during its participation in the special military operation. According to calculations, their effectiveness is about 95 percent.
From the newspaper «Ural Military News» dated 17 October 2025, No. 93
