Russia’s ZALA Aero (part of the Kalashnikov Group within the state tech corporation Rostec) has developed the country’s first quadcopter ZALA 421-24 invulnerable to electronic warfare systems, ZALA Aero Special Projects Head Nikita Khamitov told TASS during the new drone’s presentation on April 15.

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The new ZALA 421-24 quadrocopter unmanned system has a compact folding design and can remain invisible in the air due to low acoustic and visual visibility. It is controlled by a manual controller and can be operated from a driving vehicle. The ease of operation of the UAV allows you to use the unmanned system by one person (Picture source: ZALA Aero)

"We have integrated a solution on this copter that allows conducting a flight in a complete radio silence mode. We give it a point on the map, fully switch off the communications channel and GPS and send it to the coordinate. The onboard computer creates a cloud of points on the ground and makes a flight already relative to the ground. It can return from absolutely any point of its flight, if our communications or GPS are cut off," Khamitov explained.

The new quadcopter has a flight time of about 40 minutes and an operating range of around 5 km. The ZALA 421-24 can be outfitted with a video camera and a thermal imaging device, he said.

In turn, the Kalashnikov Group reported that the new copter had low acoustic and visual signature for its detection.

"The drone is operated by a hand-held controller and can also be operated from a mobile vehicle. The drone is easy to operate, which allows its operation by one person," the Kalashnikov press office informed.

ZALA Aero is a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles and mobile systems. The company has been part of the Kalashnikov Group since January 2015.

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