Elbit Systems is now offering a small but terrifying capability for urban warfare environments, and its name is LANIUS. LANIUS is the company\u2019s new drone-based search-and-attack\u00a0loitering munition<\/a>\u00a0designed for short-range operation through deployment via a multicopter as well as by hand. The design is based on racing drones which allows LANIUS to utilize high degrees of speed and maneuverability to essentially rush a target before exploding. Elbit\u2019s introduction of LANIUS only underscores how rapidly small but deadly drones are iterating in the defense space.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to\u00a0a datasheet for the drone<\/a>, LANIUS has a top speed of 45 mph, a maximum takeoff weight of 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg), an operational speed of up to 20 meters per second in an outdoor environment, and a limited flight time of just seven minutes. LANIUS can carry lethal or non-lethal payloads, though Elbit hasn\u2019t specified what exactly those weapons will consist of. LANIUS is able to communicate through Wi-Fi or a software-defined radio, and while its ability to operate with a man-in-the-loop is prominently featured by Elbit, the drone can also autonomously execute a full flight profile without intervention if needed.<\/p>\n The company explains that the highly maneuverable drone is designed to conduct, GPS navigation, scanning, and mapping all in complex\u00a0urban combat environments<\/a>. This capability is achieved through the drone\u2019s artificial intelligence (AI) technologies powered by an NVIDIA Jetson TX2 processor, allowing the drone to formulate a 3D map of its surroundings, which is then fed back to the operator through a handheld remote device.<\/p>\n \u201cLANIUS is equipped with cameras fitted with multiple visual sensors and an IMU [internal measurement unit],\u201d reads the LANIUS datasheet. \u201cThe system incorporates a SLAM [simultaneous location and mapping] algorithm, using image processing to identify points of interest and displays relevant data and identification information to the operator.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In a promotional video released by Elbit, a unit of soldiers can be seen surrounded by enemy fire in an urban setting with poor vantage points and tall, fortified structures. Left with few options, the fictional squadron elects to deploy LANIUS. Despite sounding like something out of a video game, as does the LANIUS capability as a whole, this capability is certainly in line with what to expect from the future of warfare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The drone racing pedigree of LANIUS is also certainly significant. Drone racing is very much a thing and features flying small drones at high speeds through complex indoor environments in ways that are readily translatable to urban combat in some capacity.\u00a0The War Zone’s<\/em>\u00a0Editor-in-Chief, Tyler Rogoway, laid out this\u00a0exact reality in a 2014 piece.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fie.undef.edu.ar\/ceptm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-11-at-1.16.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fie.undef.edu.ar\/ceptm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screen-Shot-2022-11-11-at-7.34.jpg\")