Ukrainian company GrimTech is completing the development of a new aircraft-type strike drone, the Grim LA-80. It will be able to carry up to 5 kg of payload over a distance of up to 80 km, and with a lighter load, potentially cover up to 100 km. The developers are betting on a simple design and low cost - according to the same logic that led Russia to create the Molniya.
Ukrainian company GrimTech is completing the development of a new aircraft-type strike drone, the Grim LA-80. It will be able to carry up to 5 kg of payload over a distance of up to 80 km, and with a lighter load, potentially cover up to 100 km. The developers are betting on a simple design and low cost - according to the same logic that led Russia to create the Molniya.
This is reported by "Military".
The Grim LA-80 is designed primarily for hitting targets that remain in one place for a long time: fortifications, dugouts, or equipment behind enemy lines.
In its standard configuration, the drone is expected to carry up to 5 kg of payload over a distance of up to 80 km. If it is reduced to about 2 kg, the theoretical range can increase to 100 km. The company claims that one of the main limitations at such distances is communication with the drone.
Therefore, GrimTech is considering several control options at once: a regular radio channel, digital video transmission, and Starlink. The company considers the latter to be a priority, as the satellite channel should allow for more stable communication with the drone over long distances.
The Russians have followed a similar path. The basic Molniyas are controlled via radio, but newer versions have begun to receive mesh modems. And on the reconnaissance Molniya-2P, the GUR confirmed the presence of Starlink, through which video, telemetry, and control commands are transmitted.
The serial body of the Grim LA-80 is planned to be manufactured using the vacuum forming method. A heated plastic sheet is vacuum-formed into a special shape and acquires the necessary contours. The wings will be made of foam plastic, and the structure will also use aluminum pipes and plywood. GrimTech expects that this will allow for a lightweight and durable body that can be manufactured quickly.
The company will also not produce combat units for the LA-80. They will be installed by the military. They want to make the cargo compartment versatile enough for different types of ammunition, and their position can be changed to properly balance the drone.
Previously, dev.ua already wrote that in In 2024, the Carpathian inventor Volodymyr Mussur disassembled a purchased trophy drone and created a "Lightning" based on it, which was supposed to be similar to the Russian "Lightning".
