Russia’s ZALA Group Increases Range of Lancet Loitering Munition to 65 km

Russia’s ZALA Group has announced that it has extended the range of its Lancet loitering munition, which has been extensively used in the Ukraine war, to 65 km—an increase of 15 km.

The combination of Z-16 or Z-20 reconnaissance drones with Lancets has enabled effective counter-battery operations. The Lancet loitering munitions have been upgraded with thermal imagers for nighttime use and a modernized guidance system, increasing the range of the Izdeliye-51. These enhancements have allowed for combat missions despite intense electronic countermeasures from the enemy.

With their increased range, Lancets have been able to strike Ukrainian aircraft at base airfields located at least 65 km from the line of combat contact, according to the manufacturer, ZALA Group. This range is significantly higher than the previous official range of 40 km.

In February, the company reported a fifty-fold increase in the production of high-precision weaponry since the Ukraine war broke out.

The number of openly published episodes of the combat use of the "Lancet" in the special military operation has reached 2,000, according to OSINT statistics from the Internet portal LostArmour.info.