What damage did Lancet do after hitting UK Stormer HVM air defense?
On May 7, the British Stormer HVM close air defense vehicle was hit on the southern front in Ukraine. At least on this date, the video was published, but it is possible that the incident happened earlier.
The video was recorded by two drones – a surveillance drone that captured the entire operation and brief footage of the Lancet before it self-detonated on the British mobile air defense platform. The Stormer HVM is seen to have tried to take cover, standing close to trees and bushes next to a dirt road.
The video shows the Lancet flying at high speed towards the platform. Ukrainian soldiers see what will happen next. Seconds before the drone struck the British air defense vehicle, at least three [that much can be seen in the video] managed to exit the vehicle. The Stormer HVM is operated by a crew of four. It is not known if there were four people in the vehicle at the time of the explosion. A powerful explosion followed and a successful operation by Russian forces.
According to analyzes by Russian experts, several Stormer HVMs were sent to the front to cover Ukrainian troops stationed closer to the front line for the upcoming counteroffensive.
What is the result of the hit?
Later in May, the first video footage and photos of the destroyed Stormer HVM emerged. It is confirmed that this air defense vehicle was destroyed in Donbas.
The lancet exploded on impact at the very edge of the air defense system’s armored hull, not destroying the entire vehicle. You can see the impact where the drone most likely crashed.
Lancet failed to destroy the launcher on the British platform. Yes, you can see from the picture that there is damage, but the damage is not great. Realistically, the launcher can most likely be repaired. The condition of the launcher shows that it was hit by shrapnel, not a Lancet.
The Stormer HVM optoelectronic guidance system was also destroyed, but this is speculation, without evidence. It is a guess because this targeting is near the impact site. Since it is missing from the frame, there are two possibilities: either it was destroyed or it was taken down for repair.
Has the Lancet failed or is there something else?
The question arises whether Lancet is effective. In fact, this matter need not be commented on, since one failure cannot sum up the entire performance of Lancet in the war. And as we have shared many photos and videos, it is more than successful.
Here the question is different – does the drone operator know how and where exactly to direct it? Because if the drone is aimed “at the edge of the armor” as is the case, we see that the damage is not great at all.
Many experts say that for an attack on an armored vehicle to be successful, the missile or drone must be aimed at the area between the turret and the chassis – where the link is. In this way, not only the destruction of the tower with the weapon equipment is guaranteed, but also a significant part of the chassis. It’s just that after such an impact, the recovery of the vehicle is much more difficult.
Management gaps
Indeed, it is entirely possible that inexperience on the part of the Lancet operator could render the drone ineffective. In this particular case, the Lancet did not hit the British air defense vehicle in the right place.
But even though the Lancet is the most successful Russian drone in the war in Ukraine, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a countermeasure against it. One of the most effective and inexpensive means of countering Lancet is nets.
There are several pictures of failed Lancet missions in Ukraine after they became entangled in nets strung over weapons systems. Also, there was a case where a Lancet was intercepted by the branches of a tree under which a weapon platform was parked.
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 21 February 2022, Russia claimed that Ukrainian shelling had destroyed an FSB border facility. Russia claimed that it had killed 5 Ukrainian soldiers. They tried to cross into Russian territory. Ukraine denied being involved in both incidents and called them a false flag.
On the same day, the Russian government formally recognized the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR. According to Putin not only in their de-facto controlled areas, but the Ukrainian Oblasts as a whole. Putin ordered Russian troops, including tanks, to enter the regions.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine by Russian Armed Forces previously concentrated along the border. The invasion followed by targeted airstrikes of military buildings in the country, as well as tanks entering via the Belarus border.
Russia has so far not recognized the invasion of Ukraine as a “war”, although that is exactly what it is, claiming that it is a “special military operation”. According to the UN, a “special military operation” can only take place after a UN resolution. There is no such resolution. So this is an invasion and war against Ukraine.
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