Ukrainian Forces are doing an excellent job when it comes
to countering the much larger Russian military.
Most observers didn't give Ukraine much chance and they are being proven wrong.
It is clear that Russia is taking in heavy losses and they have failed to get a quick victory.
Several kinds of weapons are playing a crucial part in Ukraine's war efforts as it tries to
defend against the Russian invasion and few of them are locally designed and manufactured.
One such system is the Punisher drone.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why Russian forces hate Ukraine's indigenous
'Punisher' drone? Let's get started.
Punisher UAV is built by the Ukrainian company UA Dynamics, which describes the vehicle as
“reusable, fast, unexpected, precise, lethal.”
As per reports, UA Dynamics has been created by
veterans who have been fighting against the pro-Moscow forces
in the breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine – now fully occupied by the Russian Army.
The nature of the conflict convinced the founders the country needed domestically produced weapons
adapted to the kind of warfare.
As per UA Dynamics website: The concept of a reusable airstrike drone was created by veterans
of the Russian-Ukrainian War to conduct special reconnaissance and implement tactics of raids
on important military facilities with enhanced protection in the deep rear of the enemy.
The main tasks of the complex are to destroy the forces and means of the enemy and to create
constant psychological pressure through disturbing actions without violating the rules of warfare.
“Three-quarters of the company’s employees are veterans with experience in special operations
deep in enemy territory,” said Maxim Subbotin, who Israeli Newspaper Haaretz identifies as
a “marketing expert and an unofficial spokesman for
UA Dynamics” – which the paper says only formally registered as a company this year.
The veterans have watched Russian tactics closely and have incorporated the lessons
learned into the Punisher concept and this has optimized the drone for this kind of warfare.
According to UA Dynamics officials cited in various press reports,
the Punisher has carried out at least 60 successful drone missions against Russian
armed forces since they began their invasion – several with considerably outsize effects.
Punisher has a 7.5-foot wingspan, and the capability to fly at 1,300-foot
altitudes for missions of up to 3 hours long.
The mid-sized UAV serves as a bridge between the larger, fully militarized
Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones, and consumer crafts that have been deployed in large numbers.
Punisher has a range of 29-mile or 46 km strike range, and 45 mph or 72 kph cruising speed.
As per UA Dynamics, priority targets for Punisher as stated on the website
include Stationary Command Points Of Brigade or Division,
Command Communication Vehicles, Electronic Warfare Units, Air Defence Units or Missile
Defence Units, Ammunition Warehouses / Fuel Warehouses and Infantry Barracks
Punisher is hard to detect and track due to the following aspects:
1. Small Geometric Shapes Of The Planer 2. Low Noise Electric Motors
3. Zero Thermal Signature 4. Possibility Of Controlled
Reduction Of Radio Signature 5. Radio Transparent Materials
These characteristic has allowed the drone to hit targets deep inside Russian lines.
Eugene Bulatsev, a representative of the Ukrainian defense contractor UA-Dynamics,
said the remotely-piloted vehicle is “game-changing.”
He told the Times of London,
“This is the cheapest and easiest way to deliver a punch from a long distance, without risking
civilian lives,” Bulatsev also said the Punisher can take on three different targets per mission.
It can use a single large payload or three smaller charges for 3 different targets.
UA Dynamics say the Punisher has a 4.4 pound or 2 kg payload capacity and different types
can be chosen like High-Explosive With Air Blasting, Thermobaric, etc.
In ideal conditions, when the wind speed is 8-10 m / s, the
estimated accuracy of hitting from the heights of 200 / 300 / 400 m is - 4 m from the aiming point.
Another interesting aspect of the Punisher is that it flies with a smaller spotter drone
that effectively paints targets. This is called the Spectre-1.
The Spectre-1 has been finding high-value targets like ammo dumps,
fuel stations, and air defense systems deep inside the enemy lines.
Once Punisher gets supplied with the designated coordinates by Spectre-1,
its flies to the target and fires at it.
Another excellent aspect of Punisher is that it can conduct a mission and then be broken
down into 4 cases of components and easily transported to the next area of operations.
The integration of Spectre-1 and easy transportability
makes it a very flexible solution.
The Punisher fits perfectly into the Ukrainian drone strategy.
The Ukrainians are using the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone
to take out tanks and armored vehicles. Punishers can be used against less
protected targets as well as for long-range recon whereas commercial
off-the-shelf drones are being used for close combat reconnaissance.
Also, the commercial off-the-shelf drones are being used as decoys
while the Punisher and TB2 do the damage.
This kind of asymmetric warfare is taking a lot of toll on the Russian forces
with supply lines being targeted continuously resulting in assaults getting bogged down.
It can be said that along with indigenous Stugna-P,
Punisher is turning out to be a major problem for Russians.
The system has lots of potential and if Ukraine is able to deploy it in large numbers,
it will certainly have telling impact on the battlefield.