Russian Defense Industry Develops Combined-effect Munition for Drones

The Russian defense industry has developed a new universal factory-produced standard munition specifically for attack drones.

It's a shaped-charge, fragmentation, and thermobaric munition all rolled into one. Called the KOT BC. It is currently mounted on the Molniya aircraft-type drone widely used against Ukrainian targets.

"It's a cumulative-fragmentation-thermobaric warhead. The high-explosive effect on a dugout is because we're destroying the shelters themselves. The fragmentation effect is because there's infantry there. If the blast wave doesn't hit, the shrapnel will. The thermobaric effect is almost the same as a high-explosive warhead, but it also has the added benefit of a penetrating effect," explained sapper Artem Kernasov to the Russian MoD’s TV Channel, TVZvezda.ru.

To enhance the effect, two munitions are attached to the Molniya at once, as the drone's lifting force allows for this. If one fails, the other will.

The Molniya aircraft-type drone remains one of the most widely used and effective in the Russian military. Pilots and technicians appreciate it for its extreme simplicity and reliability. A modernized version is now being fielded.

"The Molniya has been developed with artificial intelligence. It has automatic target acquisition, making it more combat-ready, even if there are any problems. So, if we're being suppressed by electronic warfare, it makes the pilot's job easier. He doesn't have to strain himself so much, because not every spot offers a good picture," said spotter technician Ilya Tutov.

The Molniya UAV was originally conceived by simple craftsmen in their garages. The government then established industrial-scale production.