Finnish-Ukrainian Steel Eagle ER attack drone enters combat in Ukraine
Finnish company Insta Group Oy and an unnamed Ukrainian drone manufacturer jointly developed the Steel Eagle ER, an autonomous attack drone equipped with an explosive payload containing thousands of steel balls. The weapon system has reportedly entered combat use in Ukraine and is designed to resist electronic countermeasures.
What happened
Finnish company Insta Group Oy unveiled the Steel Eagle ER (Extended Range), a new version of its Steel Eagle strike drone developed in cooperation with an unnamed Ukrainian drone manufacturer. The quadcopter drone is fitted with Insta's patented conical explosive payload containing more than 3,000 steel or tungsten balls, detonated at an optimum height of 20 meters above the target across a 2,000-square-meter area.
Reported impact
The drone is reportedly designed to be electronic warfare resistant and has been tested in actual combat conditions in Ukraine, enabling precise delivery of explosive payloads with adjustable blast height to alter the impact area depending on target requirements.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.