Russians discovered the remains of a kamikaze drone similar to the British Banshee

19 February, 2024 A drone discovered by the Russians is similar to the British Banshee drone, February 19, 2024 The remains of an attack jet-powered drone similar to British Banshee Jet 80 drones have been found in the Donetsk region. The news was made public online.

On February 19, Russians published an image of an allegedly intercepted drone in the Novoazovskyi district of the Donetsk region, the borders of which are 60 kilometers from the front line. A jet-powered drone similar to the British Banshee Jet 80 suffered only minor damage in the crash. The authors of the video state that the drone was equipped with a 7-kilogram warhead. Presumably, it was an element of the nose of the aircraft and is separate from the rest of the video.

In the video, you can also see that the flaps of the drone contain warnings in English "NO HAND." Compared to the original target drone Banshee Jet 80, which was developed by the British corporation QinetiQ, the drone seen in the Donetsk region has a modified tail. At the same time, the general shape of the fuselage, jet nozzles and technical holes coincide with the same on the British UAV.

Banshee Jet 80 drone (left) and a drone found in Donetsk region

The appearance of this drone correlates with last year's statements by the UK about the transfer of long-range strike drones to Ukraine.

Then, however, the type and name of the drone was not called. The British side noted that "hundreds of new long-range strike drones with a range of more than 200 km" should arrive within a few months.

Banshee Jet 80

The original Banshee Jet 80 was developed as a target drone for the Royal Navy. It is powered by two jet engines that provide thrust equivalent to 45 kg each.

Total thrust of 90 kg provides the drone with a speed of up to 200 m/s (720 km/h). Banshee flight time is 45 minutes. It can reach a range of more than 100 km and a maximum altitude of 9144 meters.

The combined control system from QinetiQ is integrated into the drone. The avionics includes a three-dimensional inertial system with satellite signal correction and a digital autopilot.

Digital telemetry systems and autonomous point navigation are also on board, providing tracking and telemetry capabilities.

In addition, the drone can provide controlled flight at sea at a minimum altitude of 5 meters thanks to an integrated radio altimeter.