RuAviation

The new version features claimed AI-powered targeting and extended range, building on the system’s extensive combat use in Ukraine.

At the Dubai Airshow 2025, ZALA Aero—a subsidiary of the Kalashnikov Group—unveiled the export version of its Lancet-E reconnaissance-strike system. The package combines airborne ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) capabilities with precision-guided strike weapons on a single platform. It consists of a modernized ZALA Z-16E reconnaissance UAV and two loitering munitions designated “Item 51E” and “Item 52E.”

According to a ZALA Aero statement, “Integrating all components into a single architecture enables a closed kill chain—from target detection to precision engagement. The new export-grade Lancet-E features enhanced performance, with the most notable upgrade being the machine-vision algorithms embedded in the ZALA Z-16E reconnaissance UAV.”

The automated target-detection module identifies, classifies, and tracks objects in the video feed. The upgraded Z-16E datalink ensures a stable connection at ranges up to 50 km. Endurance of the updated ISR drone is 3.5 hours.

The loitering munitions also received performance improvements. The effective range of “Item 51E” has increased to 45 km (previously 40 km), and “Item 52E” now reaches 35 km (up from 25 km). The manufacturer reports an expanded warhead lineup, including shaped-charge, blast-fragmentation, combined HEAT-fragmentation, and thermobaric options.

The system’s appearance in Dubai follows its international debut at the ADEX exhibition in Baku in September 2024. A key part of ZALA Aero’s marketing strategy is leveraging combat performance data from the baseline Lancet system’s widespread use in Ukraine.

Russian-affiliated Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) trackers have compiled extensive lists of claimed successful strikes to promote the system’s effectiveness. These unverified reports allege the destruction of a wide range of equipment, including:

• Artillery systems: over 1,070 towed artillery pieces (including more than 260 M777 howitzers) and more than 600 self-propelled howitzers (M109, AHS Krab, CAESAR, PzH 2000, 2S22 Bohdana).
• Rocket artillery: more than 80 MLRS systems, including HIMARS and M270.
• Air-defense assets: over 80 surface-to-air missile systems.
• Heavy armor: more than 500 tanks, including over 60 Western models (Abrams, Leopard, Challenger).
• Light armored vehicles: more than 400 platforms, including Bradley and Stryker.
• Aviation and naval assets: seven aircraft on airfields
• and multiple maritime targets including patrol craft, landing boats, and more than ten unmanned surface vessels.

The system’s appearance in Dubai positions it for entry into Gulf markets, where demand for capabilities of this class is driven by the need to secure extensive oil and gas infrastructure—an operational role well aligned with the Lancet’s mission profile.