Russo-Ukrainian War: The DevDroid Droid NW 40 UGV

Source: @drone_wars_ on Instagram

     The Russo-Ukrainian War is seeing more and more the usage of UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) by not only the Ukrainian military but the Russian Federation as well. The majority are used for logistical missions and even casualty evacuation while some UGVs are utilized on area denial operations (by laying mines), support of aerial UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) sorties (as relay transmitters and/or electronic warfare platforms), and as seen here, equipped with weapons to support units in the field. The particular model pictured is what looks to be a prototype Droid NW 40, designed by the Ukrainian company DevDroid. That this is not the production Droid NW 40 is because the chassis is that of the Droid TW 12.7, another UGV offered by DevDroid which is equipped with a Browning M2 .50 caliber heavy machine-gun. Here, the armament system for the Droid NW 40 has been fitted for testing purposes.

     The Droid NW 40 is billed as a reconnaissance-strike UGV designed to engage light armored targets, soft-skin vehicles (meaning unarmored), infantry, defensive positions, and battlefield reconnaissance. To engage such target types, the Droid NW 40 is fitted with either the Ukrainian produced AGL-53 or the U.S. military's Mk.19 automatic grenade launcher. The latter have been in use by Ukrainian troops, having been supplied by Canada and the United States. Both fire the NATO standard 40x53mm grenade. In the photograph, the weapon is the AGL-53. For some of the grenade types available, see the link below about the Repkon Defence RDS-40 which lists out some of the more common munitions.

     The Droid NW 40 platform allows for a maximum firing range of .9 of a mile (1.5 kilometers). A total of 48 rounds of ammunition is carried in a can to the left of the weapon. Specific performance data on the AGL-53 isn't known but likely is similar to the Mk.19 with a 300 to 400 round per minute rate of fire. With no ability for the Droid NW 40 to be reloaded with ammunition without the UGV returning to its support base, the operator can fire single-shot or fire in very brief bursts. The combat module mounting permits a total of 270 degrees of traverse, maximum elevation of 65 degrees, and a maximum depression of 5 degrees. The combat module can rotate and elevate/depress 100 degrees every second. The operator manually aims and fires the grenade launcher or aiming can be conducted by entering coordinates. In the latter mode, the aiming tabulations will be calculated so that the grenade launcher can be aimed in order to strike the designated target.

     Power comes from an electric motor though DevDroid does not provide a maximum speed for the Droid NW 40 in their literature. The Droid TW 12.7 has a top speed of 4.3 miles per hour so the Droid NW 40 is likely in the same range. The Droid NW 40 has a maximum operational range of 31 miles on roads and off-road, the maximum range drops to 25 miles. Endurance-wise, the onboard batteries permit 120 hours of power assuming the Droid NW 40 is stationary (for example, as a static gun position) but if active in the battlefield, then the endurance is reduced to 12 hours.

     Operator vision comes from the optic suite seen below the barrel of the AGL-53. Besides the daylight cameras, there is a thermal imager that permits the Droid NW 40 to engage enemy targets at night as well as in low visibility conditions such as smoke, dust, and fog. Linkage to the Droid NW 40 can be accomplished using radio communication products such as Wi-Fi and Sine Link modules (from Sine Engineering). If required (or desired), the Droid NW 40 can be upgraded to utilize Starlink, LTE, or a Mesh network.

     As a note, the production Droid NW 40 uses the same tracks and drive train along with the middle section as the Droid TW 12.7. However, the battery compartments and other component covers situated on the sides of the UGV are longer and boxier than on the Droid TW 12.7 as the Droid NW 40 has a longer range and endurance.

For further information on the 40x53mm grenade types, visit:

https://photosofmilitaryhistory.blogspot.com/2025/02/russo-ukrainian-war-repkon-defence-rds.html

Russo-Ukrainian War: The DeViRo Leleka-100 Reece UAV

Source: Reuters

     A soldier launches a DeViRo Leleka-100 reconnaissance UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) into the air for a sortie. The Leleka-100 (“leleka” means “stork” in Ukrainian) is not a new UAV and in fact, it first entered service (unofficially) with the Ukrainian military back in 2015 during the Donbas War. In 2020, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine began using the Leleka-100, the same year the UAV passed state acceptance trials. 2021 saw the Leleka-100 officially accepted into Ukrainian Army service. Besides being used by Ukrainian border guard units, the Leleka-100 is deployed by some artillery units (notably the 44th. Artillery Brigade “Danylo Apostol”) for the purposes of target acquisition and as a spotter for artillery fire adjustment.

     The construction of the Leleka-100 is a mixture of carbon fiber, fiberglass, and Kevlar materials with the UAV having a length of 3.7 feet, a wingspan of 6.5 feet, and a combat weight of 12 pounds. Power comes from an electric motor which drives a rear-mounted 2- or 3-bladed propeller. The Leleka-100 has a cruise speed of 43 miles per hour, an endurance of no more than 2.5 hours, and a maximum flight range of 62 miles. The maximum ceiling for the Leleka-100 is .9 of a mile (1,500 meters).

     In the nose is a 2-axis, gyro-stabilized gimbals-type camera mount. The mount allows any number of optical modules to be utilized. Examples include a PLCI Z30 daylight module with up to 20x optical zoom while for night operations, a PLCI infrared (IR) module can be fitted that has a fixed 4x optical zoom. Thermal imaging optics as well as high-resolution imaging modules can also be used depending on the mission.

     The Leleka-100 can be flown manually by an operator or the UAV can be pre-programmed with navigational data and it will fly fully autonomously. Data is relayed from the Leleka-100 to its ground station using an encrypted digital radio channel. The data sent back allows the operator to track the UAV on digital satellite maps and the same radio channel is used by the operator to assume control of the UAV if need be or the operator can utilize the camera module while the Leleka-100 maintains its flight parameters. However, the maximum range for both the radio channel as well as the HD video feed is 28 miles.

     The Leleka-100 is equipped with a EW (Electronic Warfare) suite developed by DeViRo which can detect intentional interference of the UAV's GPS. The two most common techniques involve blocking or jamming GPS operating frequencies or injecting false GPS data (spoofing) to make the drone go off course. If the attempts are detected, the suite will switch off the GPS and revert to its onboard inertial navigation system that is totally self-contained and thus immune to jamming or interference. Another self-preservation ability, set prior to a mission, is that if the radio channel is jammed, the Leleka-100 can carry on with its pre-programmed mission autonomously or it will abort the mission and return back to a programmed landing site for recovery.

     Getting the Leleka-100 airborne is via a bungee launcher while upon returning to its base, the UAV either lands on its belly or it can descend to earth using a parachute.

Russo-Ukrainian War: The Baikal MP-155 Shotgun

Source: Anatolii Stepanov (Reuters)

     A soldier of the 49th. Assault Battalion Carpathian Sich “Oleg Kutsyn” on patrol somewhere in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast on December 7, 2025. The vehicle in the background appears to be a Ukrainian Nissan Titan Warrior that was knocked out and subsequently stripped of usable parts.

     The soldier is outfitted for anti-drone duty as evidenced by his shotgun armament. From appearances, the shotgun is a Baikal MP-155 semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun. The MP-155, developed and built by the Russian Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, has been in production since at least 2014 and remains so to this day. A gas-operated weapon, the MP-155 holds four rounds in a tube magazine and has a weight of 7.7 pounds. An interesting feature of the MP-155 is that there is an interrupter which allows the operator to disengage the magazine feed to permit the hand loading of a round. This is useful when the need to fire a different type of shell from what is already loaded is required. It also means there is no need to fully empty the magazine in order to change ammunition. Other features include a field changeable barrel (meaning, a gunsmith is not required to effect the change) and the ability to mount optics or post sights. Out of the box, aiming is done using the perforated sighting bar that runs along the top of the MP-155.

Russo-Ukrainian War: The RC Direction Chaklun-K Drone

Source: Oksana Parafeniuk (for The Washington Post)

     A soldier of Special Purpose UAV Unit “Typhoon” with what looks to be a early Chaklun-K drone (or possibly a prototype). The unit, formed in May 2024, falls under the National Guard of Ukraine and is garrisoned in Kyiv. The current commander is Mykhailo “Michael” Kmityuk. Several types of drones are operated allowing the unit to undertake short and long range missions against Russian targets and elements of “Typhoon” have seen combat in some of the hotter sections of the front to include the Pokrovske and Kupyansk battle zones. Chaklun, which means sorcerer or magician, is a series of long-range reconnaissance and strike drones designed and produced by the Ukrainian company RC Direction. The Chaklun was approved for service on October 16, 2024.

     It should be mentioned that the assumption this is a early Chaklun-K drone is because it lacks refinements seen in the current Chaklun-K design. This might not be surprising as the “Typhoon” unit often field trials drones and provides evaluation data and feedback to the drone designers for improvements. That said, the Chaklun-K is used for strike missions against ground and aerial targets. RC Direction designates the drone configured for ground attack as the Chaklun-K(A) while the drone set up for air-to-air combat is the Chaklun-K(M).

     The Chaklun-K is primarily constructed of phenoplast-polystyrene. This is a composite synthetic resin which is inexpensive and easy to use via injection molding manufacturing processes. As a consequence, production is rapid. In addition, the material offers a very low radar cross-section that helps the Chaklun-K avoid detection. The electric engine is mounted in the rear driving a 3-bladed pusher propeller and the cruise speed is 50 miles per hour with a stall speed of 37 miles per hour. The Chaklun-K(A) has a maximum speed of 75 miles per hour with an operational altitude (not the maximum altitude) of 300 meters as it is designed for ground attack. The Chaklun-K(M), on the other hand, utilizes a high performance engine that pushes the drone to a top speed of 109 miles per hour with an operational altitude of 4,000 meters. This allows it to better engage enemy drones. The Chaklun-K uses a secure linkage to the operator's controller out to a range of 17 miles even if the airspace is being actively jammed.

     The current Chaklun-K has a single hardpoint on each wing which provides for a total warload of 4.4 pounds. Publicity photographs show each hardpoint carrying two 3D printed bombs. Although not stated, it is possible that the Chaklun-K can be fitted with an internal explosive payload in place of external ordnance. As the Chaklun-K is heavier (9.5 pounds) compared to the reconnaissance Chaklun (6.2 pounds), the Chaklun-K only has an endurance of 1 hour when flying at cruise speed. The Chaklun-K(A), when being sent against static targets, can be preprogrammed with telemetry which allows the drone to fly the mission fully autonomously. If required, an operator can assume control.

     The Chaklun-K can be hand launched in some circumstances but the usual method is via a launch rail and the green cord ending in a metal ring seen on the underside of the drone in the photograph is connected to a rear-facing hook. This cord is in turn connected to the launcher.

     So far, Chaklun-K drones have flown over 2,000 missions against Russian targets and the Chaklun-K(M) plays a large role as part of Ukraine's air defense arsenal.

Battle of Iwo Jima: M-2-4 Multiple Rocket Launcher Truck

Source: United States Marine Corps

     Positioned somewhere on the island of lwo Jima, a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) rocket battery commences firing salvos of 4.5in. Beach Barrage Rockets (BBRs) towards Japanese positions. The 110mm rocket (4.5") was given the nickname "Old Faithful'' and originally, it was designed for the U.S. Navy to be launched from landing ships. In fact, the U.S. Navy deployed twelve such ships, the LSM(R) (Landing Ship Medium (Rocket)) class, to the Pacific Theater where they conducted ship-to-shore bombardments. 

     At the Battle of lwo Jima, there were two USMC rocket batteries, the 1st. Provisional Rocket Detachment and the 3rd. Provisional Rocket Detachment. The former supported the 4th. Marine Division while the latter supported the 5th. Marine Division. From the photograph itself, it isn't possible to tell which unit this is. 

     The vehicles are International Harvester M-2-4 1-ton, 4X4 cargo trucks which both the Navy and the USMC had been using since 1941. Fitted to the rear of the trucks were three, 12-rail Mk.7 rocket launchers which" allowed each truck to fire a full salvo of 36 rockets. Each battery was equipped with 12 trucks and so one battery could launch 432 rockets. 

     The truck nearest the camera has the name "Vis a Tergo" on the hood. This is a medical term meaning "a force acting from behind; a pushing or accelerating force." It would appear that the crew of "Vis a Tergo" did not secure the canvas bed/cab cover which is being whipped up by the exhaust of the rockets as they launch.

Russo-Ukrainian War: The 35D6M Radar Complex

     A screen capture from an informational video produced and released by the Ukrainian Air Force's 138th. Radio-Technical Brigade “Dnieper Ukraine” shows one of the brigade's 35D6M radar stations. The contrast between the base green paint on the radar complex and the brown of the fall/winter terrain emphasizes that this is a information production and not a shot of the complex in actual active deployment. Had it been, the 35D6M would have been easily spotted by Russian reconnaissance UAVs and targeted for destruction. The 35D6M is a modernization of the Soviet 19Zh6 (NATO reporting name Tin Shield) medium-range, 3D air defense radar which entered service in the early 1980s. The modernization program was undertaken by the Iskra Research & Production Complex, a part of Ukroboronprom, with the first 35D6M being delivered in the spring of 2021.

     According to Ukroboronprom, the modernization program updated the antenna apparatus, saw the installation of improved system and operating software, and the fashioning of a cabin that includes a total rework of the radar operator's stations and the fitting of a HVAC system. The complete details of the modernization isn't specified in articles, likely for operational security. Iskra took 19Zh6 radar complexes and completely took them apart. After the complete disassembly, all components were inspected and those parts that were to be re-used were refurbished before being reassembled with the updated parts as outlined above. It was said that the modernization of a single 19Zh6 into a 35D6M was not a quick process. The result is, again according to Ukroboronprom, a complex that has increased operational range, improved target data and trajectory acquisition, reduced maintenance requirements, and the extension of the complex's service life. As the various articles leave out the exact performance capability of the 35D6M, what follows are the specifications of the 19Zh6 radar.

     As mentioned, the 19Zh6 is a medium-range, 3D radar. The 3D (3 dimensions) means the radar provides the usual range and azimuth coordinates but adds the elevation coordinates and with all three, target tracking is far more precise. The radar itself uses a frequency-controlled, phased array antenna and it operates in the E- and F-band frequencies (2,850 to 3,200 MHz). Four transmitters generate overlapping wave patterns which improves altitude calculations. Pulse power is 3.2 kW as an average but can run as high as 350 kW. The Russian Wikipedia mentions the 35D6M as having a target detection range of 29 miles at low altitude and 108 miles at medium or high altitudes. There was no source provided with which to verify the data. Speaking of low altitude, the 19Zh6 and the 35D6M are optimized for low altitude target detection as the radar is resistant to active and passive jamming but is also able to filter out strong ground reflection (more often called clutter) from terrain, buildings, and other stationary objects. Finally, the radar is able to work effectively in all weather conditions. The radar antenna spins either at 5-6 revolutions per minute (rpm) or 10 to 12 rpm. The complex features BITE (Build-In Test Equipment) which permits rapid fault detection. The exact crew size for the entire complex isn't known but is likely between 7 to 10 men which would include at most 5 radar operators/technicians, at least two tractor drivers, and the remainder being mechanics to maintain the equipment. From the halt, it takes a trained crew 1 hour to bring the radar into action.

     The full 35D6M complex includes a 6BP power plant which houses two DGM 4-60-T0230-TS/400 diesel generators along with a PSTS-100 converter. The power plant sits inside a KP10 box body which is set on a MAZ-5224V 2-axle trailer chassis. The unit provides the power to the radar and its associated systems. The radar system and the 6II cabin sit on a MAZ-938 series 2-axle semi-trailer which has a maximum load capacity of 13.5 tons. The radar array is mounted on a 40V6M tower mast. The vehicle hitched to the MAZ-938 is a KrAZ-255V tractor. Besides the KrAZ-255V, the KrAZ-260V can also be utilized as a tow vehicle for both the semi-trailer and the 6BP.