Russia Introduces the AK-47 of Drones, and It Could Change Warfare Forever
After the invention of archery, the cannon, and the hydrogen bomb, the next-most revolutionary weapon is the AK-47. Never before has such firepower been made so accessible to so many. The rifle can expend a 30-round magazine in three seconds and can group shots at hundreds of meters.
But this isn’t what makes the AK platform so deadly — not even close.
The secret to Mikhail Kalashnikov’s magnum opus is its simplicity. Stamped steel and cheap wooden stocks allow factories to pump them out in massive numbers- roughly 76 million since its inception. And because there are not too many moving parts on these guns, every two-bit illiterate conscript in the world is capable of wielding one.
Now a new revelation out of an aerospace subsidiary of Kalashnikov Group might change the game again.
At an Abu Dhabi arms show, Zala Aero Group unveiled an unmanned kamikaze drone that is specifically designed for the destruction of ground targets: the KUB-UAV.
A video uploaded by the group to YouTube showcases the singular utility of the drone.
Zala Aero Group touts the drone’s accuracy, covertness, and ease of use. Rostec, the Russian parent company behind both Zala and Kalashnikov Group, is convinced of its future impact on the battlefield.
“This complex is a step towards a completely new combat operations,” CEO of Rostec Sergey Chemezov confirmed in a press release.
With the potential behind this drone, Chemezov is exactly right.
Where American drones like the MQ-1 Predator have auxiliary requirements like refueling vehicles, ground support, communications and signal structures, and runways, kamikaze drones would be exceedingly easy to use (remember: you don’t even need to train pilots to land) and maintain.
Measuring roughly four feet at its widest, the drone will likely be able to deploy at frontline locations with ease.
The KUB-UAV system is so compact, many air defense systems may not be able to effectively deal with it.
“The charge on this complex is delivered to the target, regardless of its secrecy and terrain, both small and at high altitudes,” Chemezov said. “This is a very accurate and most effective weapon that is very difficult to fight with using traditional air defense systems.”
Although this drone will likely not be sold directly to terror groups, this doesn’t put the technology out of their reach.
When ISIS punched through the Iraqi Army in 2014, they captured over 2,000 US-made Humvees. Some of these wound up being the base for the Islamic State’s dreaded vehicle-bound IEDs. While the armored trucks were capable of delivering enough explosives to level a city block, their sheer size prevented this type of terror from being exported to the West.
Now imagine the chaos if ISIS captured 2,000 of the relatively minuscule KUB-UAV drones instead.
Capable of fitting inside of a large piece of luggage, there’s no telling where they could end up. And considering their ability to fly, this puts nearly every crowded public place at risk of an attack — no matter how tight security is.
If manufactured and sold at the level of the AK platform, this would effectively put devastating drone warfare in the hands of Central American cartels, African dictatorships, and rebel groups all over the world.
This would change the face of war — and terrorism — forever.
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