Kyiv was attacked by Russian "Banderoli". What kind of drone-missile is it, and will the attacks become massive?
During a massive shelling of Kyiv last night, Russians used a new loitering munition "Banderol", which can fly up to 500 km and carry up to 150 kg of explosives. RBC-Ukraine agency explains how dangerous the loitering munition is and whether it can replace "Shaheds" in attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
The "Orion" drone, which is one of the carriers of "Banderoli"
Where "Banderoli" are produced
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the missile's developer is the sanctioned enterprise "Kronstadt". Its main carrier is the "Orion" drone, produced by the same company. The product is also being adapted for use with Mi-28N attack helicopters.
Characteristics
A special feature of the missile is its ability to perform turns with a smaller radius than typical Russian-made cruise missiles (X-101, 3M-14, 9M727, X-69), while maintaining the characteristic flight trajectory of a cruise missile.
The "Banderol" is equipped with a warhead weighing up to 150 kg; it is capable of covering a distance of up to 500 km at a speed of 500 km/h. Aviation fuel is used as propellant.
What the drone consists of
GUR experts recorded the use of foreign components: a Chinese-made Swiwin SW800Pro jet engine, Murata (Japan) rechargeable batteries, Dynamixel MX-64AR servomotors from the South Korean company Robotis, as well as almost two dozen microchips from American, Chinese, Swiss, Japanese, and South Korean manufacturers.
What is the key advantage of "Banderol" over "Shaheds"
Aviation expert Konstantin Kryvolap, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine, noted that the key advantages of "Banderoli" include significantly higher speed compared to drones, which can help the munition in places to break through Ukrainian air defense.
It can be effective for destroying some single targets, but it will not become massive due to its relatively high cost compared to drones.
Can "Banderoli" become a serious threat to Kyiv?
"This type of weapon has quite limited application. It can be launched either from a helicopter or from "Orlan"-type drones. For this, the helicopter or UAV needs to be lifted into the air, so it's not a very convenient thing," says Konstantin Kryvolap.
In addition, according to him, the "Banderol" is approximately three times more expensive than the "Shahed", so it cannot become massive, as today's main trend is "many and cheap". Moreover, this munition does not even have twice the explosive part, and due to its large dimensions, it is an easy target for reactive aviation and air defense systems.
On the night of June 15, Russia launched a massive combined attack on Kyiv — with drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles.
As a result of the attack, damage was recorded in 10 districts of the Ukrainian capital; five people died, and more than 30 others were injured.
During the attack, Russia used more than 680 means of destruction against Ukraine — including "Zircons", "Iskander" ballistics, cruise missiles, and hundreds of drones of various types. Air defense destroyed or suppressed 632 aerial targets.
Comments