RAM II – Ukrainian kamikaze drone that destroyed billions of dollars worth of Russian equipment: what is known about it
Today, a video of Ukrainian Special Forces hitting Tor-M2 and Grad multiple rocket launchers with RAM II strikes is circulating online again. This footage was posted on his page by volunteer Serhiy Prytula. Let’s find out what are the features of RAM II and why it is so successful in destroying armored Russian vehicles.
RAM II is a domestic drone designed to conduct surveillance and destroy lightly armored vehicles. It was developed in 2018 by leading Ukrainian companies – CDET (KORT), DeViRo, Ukrainian Armor – on the basis of the Leleka-100 reconnaissance UAV. Each company is responsible for different elements of the design. DeViRo makes the aircraft; KORT develops the secure communications; Ukrainian Armor supplies the chassis and, presumably, the payload. The developers say they did this so that key components can be replaced if necessary.
The vast majority of components for RAM II are made in Ukraine, from the body to the drone’s communication and control equipment. Only individual parts are purchased abroad, but even the circuit boards are soldered at domestic enterprises. The developers have invented a way to make RAM II inaccessible to electronic warfare.
The drone is equipped with 30x zoom optics and digital stabilization. The drone captures the target from a distance of several kilometers. After that, it accurately hits the target, even if it is moving fast.
The drone has a wingspan of 1.8 meters, weighs 11 kilograms, and can perform combat missions lasting up to 2 hours. RAM II carries a warhead weighing up to 3 kilograms. It can be fragmentation, cumulative or thermobaric.
The drone’s manufacturers report that a precise hit from a RAM II can disable a tank, armored personnel carrier, infantry fighting vehicle, or multiple rocket launcher. The developers do not disclose the cost of the drone, but note that the cost of one unit of destroyed equipment is hundreds of times higher than the price of a RAM II.
Currently, RAM II is not officially in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, so the state does not purchase such models. However, RAMs are successfully performing combat missions at the front. A batch of RAM IIs was delivered to Ukraine’s defenders by volunteer Serhiy Prytula and activist Serhiy Sternenko. In October 2022, after a massive rocket attack, angry Ukrainians gave them 352 million hryvnias in donations “in revenge” for the occupiers. The organizers of the fundraiser then purchased 142 drones of three types, including fifty RAM IIs.
The developers report that they currently have the capacity to produce about 1000 RAM IIs per month, but the capacity can be increased if there are more orders.
Source: RAM II developers
