Volunteers in the Urals are testing a “kamikaze” FPV (first-person view) drone made from 3D-printed materials and easy to install.

This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named “Ghoul” is a crowdfunding project, aiming to produce suicide UAVs to attack armored units or enemy fortifications on the front line, or even behind enemy lines.

The Ghoul was developed in the Sverdlovsk region and is designed to penetrate deep into enemy lines, cutting off ammunition supplies or “stationary” armored vehicles, TASS news agency reported.

“Another target is tanks that are taking advantage of the terrain to hide from anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) batteries. UAVs can find such prey and attack it by diving from above,” the manufacturer’s representative said, TASS reported.

To carry out this mission, Ghoul can carry RPG-7 grenades, such as the PG-7VL and RKG-3M hand-held anti-tank grenades, or “military-made fragmentation explosives made from epoxy glue”.

Accordingly, the first batch of drones has been deployed on the front line, but there are some problems with the ground control panel. The next products are being developed based on feedback from reality.

Homegrown components

Russia is trying to reduce its dependence on imported Western electronics from the United States and Europe, which are used mainly in its aerospace sector. Analysts say Moscow is not strong in electronics, circuit boards or computer hardware.

A representative of the company that makes Ghoul said they are trying to make video data transmissions used on UAVs using locally produced components, instead of importing them from China.

One of the most efficient ways is to 3D print the antenna and main body of the UAV. “The essential parts are made from fiberglass cut on a CNC machine, while the main body is molded using thermoplastic injection molding technology.”

Previously, the West believed that Russia was also developing a simple and cheap suicide drone called Privet-82, for use in mixed warfare.

Eurasiantimes says the Privet-82 is a unique “kamikaze” UAV with FPV capabilities that can be launched from a safe distance of 30km behind the front lines. Reports claim it has autonomous capabilities with pre-set coordinates and a human operator relay feature.

Andrei Ivanov, CEO of Oko Design Bureau, the company that developed the Privet-82, said their product uses simple off-the-shelf electronic components instead of expensive imported ones. “Our UAVs, like the Kalashnikov assault rifle, are extremely simple, reliable and effective.”

With a range of up to 300km, the suicide UAVs can be launched 15-20km behind the front line with a 5kg warhead. In autonomous mode, the Privet-82 does not need radio waves when the video transmitter function is temporarily turned off.

Meanwhile, with the pilot-forwarding technology, Privet-82 opens up the possibility of a huge mixed combat advantage when in the field, most suicide UAVs are launched from a center to a specific target.

However, experts are still unclear about how the relay mechanism will work when Privet-82 operates in autonomous mode with radio waves turned off.

(According to Eurasiantimes)