Rocket Launcher Drones in Ukraine

In this week's video we explore the emerging branch of drone evolution in Ukraine that has seen the development of what I'm calling RPG-FPVs - AKA: Rocket Launcher Drones.
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[@TheArmourersBench]

Thanks for watching guys, check out our accompanying article for this video here - armourersbench.com/2024/09/21/rpg-fpv-rocket-launcher-drones-in-ukraine/ - Matt

[@IberianCraftsman]

They should put an Instalaza C90 or a C70 much better.

[@gabrielinostroza4989]

Now there's footage of a ground drone in combat and clearing a trench too. You're never hurting for content, must be both a blessing and a curse.

[@TheArmourersBench]

I saw that with the SSO, been waiting to see some actual use of UGVs. Yeah, I can't remotely keep up with everything I'd like to cover. Thanks for watching!

[@MishaAmashukeli]

IMO what's required for these RPG-armed and gun-armed drones to become effective is a smart targeting system, similar to the SMASH sight by SMARTSHOOTER company. The effective range with manual targeting is just too short. In fact SMARTSHOOTER has created such gun-armed drone, called "SMASH Dragon".

[@psychoalpha2]

i just picture a drone operator with a ps5 controller just toggling aim assist

[@JeffBilkins]

I feel anything you add to a drone makes it so much more expensive and complicated to use then a simple one-way FPV drone.

[@falloutfart9917]

The main advantage is that the drone and, depending on the type, the launcher. With a one way drone you are sacrificing the drone as well as the munition. A one way drone can only go on 1 mission while a larger more complex drone you can use it on infinite missions as long as it is capable of flying and carrying a payload.

[@CanadianWolverine]

ECCM aka Drone Jammers makes the drones more expensive regardless, whether by including the necessary alternating encrypted bandwidth at more cost per effective detonation or accepting more losses of the cheaper FPV drones at a far greater rate.

[@Ს̈̉]

Reminds me of Rise of The Reds' Recycler Drone Controller. That GLA unit has drones equipped with AKs, PKMs, helicopter rocket pods, and makeshift mortars.

[@nemisous83]

I think the one way FPV's are the more tried and true method as well as cost effective..

[@richardnicklin654]

It’s notable that we never see a round hitting a marked target, or a training round fired at a bullseye to determine the sighting. I think we may see a return of the spotting rifle.

[@itsericzhou]

What’s the recoil like from spotting rifles in thing like the smaaw? Wouldn’t it move the drone?

[@kawaiiarchive357]

Imagine being injured or killed by a jettisoned rpg tube after it fell onto your head.

[@supreme_shade]

bonk

[@klutch545]

I knew that gun and RPG drones would become a thing, the thermite drones completely surprised me, but I’m still waiting for a drone-dropped line charge. Haven’t seen one of those yet

[@SueMyChin]

They're nothing more than an idea. It's a stupid idea, the only reason they're trying it is because it's cheap to make.

[@drfranks1158]

@@SueMyChin there is nothing stupid about this situation. Lots of innovation and a new type of warfare has emerged using consumer TOYS. That isn't stupid, that's really impressive. And they're DIRT CHEAP.. unlike human life. Only s-holes consider human life 'cheap'. Like ruzzia, india, pakystany, USA and china.

[@CapnDan57]

Thanks, Matt. Heard a lot of new ground drones are being deployed too.

[@xNevikKx]

Fascinating to watch the evolution of this technology, reminds me of when they strapped a Lewis gun to a Wright Flyer.

[@jfhucka1]

I feel like a laser aiming module would make a lot of sense here.

[@baneofbanes]

Could even do it in infrared

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

i feel like you probably dont even understand what you are talking about

[@JeffBilkins]

Maybe, but the lag would still be pretty rough.

[@echomande4395]

I wonder when we'll be seeing drones armed with guided anti-armor missiles. Pop up, fire, drop down. The missiles would probably have to be fire and forget or designator guided though. Maybe a separate small designator drone and a larger shooter drone. NLAW or APKWS are heavy but might fit the job.

[@VAbel03]

I remember seeing a drone with an AT-4 last year or maybe earlier so I'm surprised that it took this long to mount guns and launchers to drones

[@danirizary6926]

How long until someone mounts the EFP warhead off a top attack anti armor rocket on a drone? The drone would be cheaper than the missiles targetting and control electronics.

[@richardnicklin654]

They’re heavy. Javelin (for example) has a ~10 kg warhead - too much for a light one way attack drone.

[@_elegans_]

@@richardnicklin654 bonus submunitions apparently weigh 6.5 kg

[@bullpupgaming708]

I think a better abbreviation would be "FPEMPD" First-Person Explosive Munition Projecting Drone.

[@BillyBrannan-t6z]

I love the content... the narrator voice is almost ai .no enflection in the voice. Add emotions.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Glad you enjoy the content thanks for watching.

[@stormiewutzke4190]

If a laser and range finder could be sinced up and software could be used to locate the laser and then adjust the aim point based on range it seems like it would be very effective. Also a single use or light duty custom launcher could be made to get weight down as low as possible. Honestly what seems ideal would be if something based off a Carl Gustaf launcher and a scaled up pump action that uses compressed gas or blank cartridges to run the action. The design should be pretty easy and the weight low. With computer assisted aiming the higher forward speed of a fixed wing as well as a more stable aiming platform could work well. It would offer an inexpensive multi shot platform. A grenade launcher could work well for anti personal use.

[@francesco3772]

Battlefield BC2 ahh equipment

[@centercannothold]

Javelin drone when?

[@jbarbeau92]

Alternatively, a DPRPG, a Drone-Propelled Rocket-Propelled Grenade, or an RPRPG, a Rotor-Propelled Rocket-Propelled Grenade

[@Jesses001]

This was predictable. I says last year, I wonder how long it will be before they start shooting rockets and RPGs from drones? We are getting into a situation though that it is not clear if it is cheaper to make disposible drones that blow up, or rocket drones that can come back. Rockets and RPGs cost something after all, ha.

[@mr.shannon6137]

Terminator level technology! Wicked cool.

[@albertor1061]

Red dots sounds like an obvious choice, maybe they are not used because rpgs have too much drop?

[@ptonpc]

I wonder if the perceived advantages of being able to jettison the launch tube after firing is worth the extra complexity of the mount? I imagine it would give the drone more range and speed, but is it enough?

[@TheArmourersBench]

Tubes once expended are pretty light. Perhaps it's the ability to rapidly mate a launcher to the drone for reloads.

[@herptek]

A tiny amount of extra complexity is no disadvantage for a re-usable drone. One could also add some sights or targeting aids just as well.

[@The_ZeroLine]

Seems like it’d be worth for the extra speed and maneuverability. Those tubes are plentiful supply and cheap.

[@vargaresa]

I guess an empty tube might also screw with the flight characteristics, catching the wind when flying at an angle.

[@herptek]

@@The_ZeroLine They are designed to be discarded after one shot.

[@proudzerzurancitizen]

it may be disposable, but can we make it biodegradable?

[@Armored_Ariete]

Everything is biodegradable

[@abeate]

The soldier is biodegradable hahaha

[@Chiller11]

The Ukrainians have certainly proven resourceful. It would be so disquieting to be an infantryman or armoured crewman with all these deadly drones flitting about.

[@a.girouard2988]

This is what I hate about KZbin. Here's a channel operated by guys who clearly state their credentials and obviously know what they are talking about but barely have a hundred thousand subs, yet channels with nothing but unreferenced video clips narrated by AI or run by Warthunder-playing military fan boys with zero depth of knowledge have five times as many subs.

[@walczyc9572]

Make a video of flamethrower drones in Ukraine.

[@TheArmourersBench]

As I said at the end, it's in the works! Thanks for watching.

[@NM-wd7kx]

@05:30 terrifying, but glad to see I was thinking along some of the right lines previously

[@rogersmith8480]

👍💯👍💯👍💯👍!!!!!

[@Abigzerolol]

BO2 IRL?!!

[@jayrey5390]

Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦✊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

[@Sightbain.]

Honestly I can see this being a good use for finishing off disabled equipment in no mans land. Reusable and keeps your FPVs available for more pressing matters.

[@obsidianjane4413]

Its almost surely to gain standoff in order to defeat drone jammers.

[@SueMyChin]

It's not about drone jammer, it's about line of sight tfor the video feed.

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@SueMyChin Not its not.

[@SueMyChin]

@@obsidianjane4413 Trust me, I've flown FPV freestyle for about 6 years. 90% of the break up we see is quads going behind environment and losing line of sight to the to the pilots antenna. Jammers work at rangers of dozens of meters, not 3 or 4 meters. You aren't aiming a drone with a dumb RPG and hitting reliably at anything more than 20 meters.

[@JOESRQFLUSA]

Birth of SKYNET…

[@karlslicher8520]

launcher drone is good, naming for letter count is ugly AI poop.

[@abeate]

FPV Javelin when? hahaha

[@dhanu_4539]

Have the russians attached a kornet to a heavy drone. I think I saw something like that from Kursk. Or maybe it was just laser guiding it.

[@obsidianjane4413]

Kornet doesn't just require the missile (which is quite heavy) but the controller launcher (which is very heavy).

[@dhanu_4539]

@@obsidianjane4413 I think they were using the fourpost drone. And I'm really not sure about most of it. There was a video released today as well. Was hoping to get some idea about it. Because I couldn't figure out what was going on.

[@thelegendaryklobb2879]

I saw a video of Fagot ATGM mounted on a heavy drone instead of Kornet. Though it wasn't fired in flight: the drone flies into position, lands on the ground and then fires. The ATGM was mounted on the top of the drone so when landed it protrudes up.

[@LOWKEYDANGER]

Fiber optic drones and now this yikes

[@jamesbutler1029]

What's the recoil on that

[@muhacnt7988]

Both drone and luncher qre single use

[@TheArmourersBench]

The launcher is, the drone isn't.

[@pyeitme508]

WOW!

[@terrified057t4]

Arma 3 Western Sahara is almost here IRL XD

[@bensnow2411]

I’m going to make a Prediction. Shields will become Ubiquitous in the future of combat. Not only that they will continue to explore exoskeletons so soldier’s can hold them for long periods of time with added armour on the exoskeleton. Basically the Military’s of the world will go towards Primitive futurism.

[@FabianMacGintyONeill]

I'd agree with you, but I think it's gonna look like Ned Kelly's armour for quite a while before they properly work out the kinks

[@_________________404]

No shield will realistically save you from an RPG. Even if you took a chunk of composite armor from some IFV or tank it'd be too heavy and impractical.

[@bensnow2411]

@@FabianMacGintyONeill maybe for the Prototype yes. But just like you and me, Scientists and engineers are influenced be media and entertainment. Their first goal would be to make the armour and exoskeletons usable and efficient in a real world scenarios. Secondly, to make it look as cool as possible to make an Impression on the higher-ups, and the public, who have also been influenced by the Various movie/video game franchises and their sci-fi armour’s.

[@marcusott2973]

I'm gonna make a prediction. There will be a kinetic answer to drones. Not shields but small calibre radar guided, laser aimed fast firing guns. Mounted on vehicles, or as pods at fixed positions.

[@bensnow2411]

@@_________________404 Military technology is constantly evolving, whether the information is open to the public or not. There’s a YT video of a soldier using prototype exoskeleton legs picking up an massive Artillery shell like it’s nothing. Just imagine what it’ll be like in the next decade, weight is not an issue. We already have GoPro evidence of armour that can have the ability to withstand armour piercing RPG’s in Gaza.

[@keithcook3908]

Kamala will take those away soon joking 😅😅😅the real question is can it hit the target 🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Using an rpg pointed down means the damn thing will always climb upwind while under power. Everything else you've been using drifts downwind the entire time. Kinda feel like the change in munition type isn't how you hone your dropping frags into open hatches skills. 10 km away... it is gonna dance one way then back. Also seems pretty far for the self destruct that kinda thing can have.

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

The usual self destruct is about 1km

[@DavidMarcus1525]

These drones are equipped with small arms, Recoilless Guns, single-shot rocket launchers, and flamethrowers. What's next on the list: TOW missile, multi-rocket launcher, grenade launcher, or speakers?

[@JeffBilkins]

Speakers are already reported

[@schweizerluchs7146]

grenade launchers too

[@asotelles]

if you think about it, if they do some tow to 500m range, it would be a really small missle, maybe a drone can even carry two

[@dannyzero692]

The Brits is testing a drone with two ATGM launch tubes

[@theenchiladakid1866]

Russia orcs will have thair PTSD triggered by the sound of bees

[@MadCerCells]

Nice vod vro,do a video on thermite drones of Ukraine

[@kiereluurs1243]

English please.

[@donwyoming1936]

I get the feeling these won't be around long. A bit onerous & ineffective

[@johngodfrey-zv3po]

HOW ABOUT Coffee Delivery service,, What the point in putting Rock to Drone when the Rocket can do it Its Self Save the Drone...??????????????????????????????????????

[@Blockhaj]

Dont say rocket propelled grenade, most of these weapons are not rocket propelled

[@TheArmourersBench]

Mate, most of the people who watched my video on the gun-armed drone weren't weapon literate enough to understand the difference between an AK47 and an AK74 judging by the numerous 'haha you don't know what an AK47 is comments'. I'll challenge them on the meaning of RPG when I do videos directly on the RPG series haha.

[@m.5932]

​@@TheArmourersBench​ well said, people are so fixated on terminologies that they miss the main points. Call them "things" from next video to keep these experts quiet. Next video title "drones with things attached to them l, l, lll, lV....."

[@MishaAmashukeli]

Most of them are in fact rocket propelled.

[@AncientRylanor69]

🐗🐈‍⬛🦒🐻‍❄🐼😔