This drone footage, provided by the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Division, shows one of their drone teams finding and attacking a truly strange form of Russian technical vehicle: an anti-submarine missile launcher mounted on a truck.

The 93rd Mechanized Brigade’s Signum recon team is back again, this time with footage of a drone attack on a Russian technical. This incident has been geolocated to have occurred at 48.6022, 38.0736, which is near Bakhmut.

The term “technical” generally refers to military armament mounted on a civilian chassis. This is a broad, catch-all term, and as far as it’s concerned, there are no holds barred. From the ubiquitous machine gun on a pickup truck to MRLS systems, to the meme-worthy BMW sedan used by Ukraine in early war, the rule seems to be if it isn’t crazy, or even if it is, you can run it.

However, Signum’s target in this video takes takes that leeway in a surprising direction. It appears to be armed with a RBU-6000, which is an anti-submarine missile launcher , which is, naturally, normally found on surface vessels. Whereas repurposing maritime weapons isn’t totally unheard of- recoilless rifles normally tripod-mounted on ships have made their way inland in Sudan- finding anti-submarine hardware almost 300 km inland from the Black Sea is decidedly odd.

Entering service in around 1960, the RBU-6000 is a 213-millimteter launcher with a range of 1700 to 5500 meters, depending on the rocket launched. This means, somewhat obviously, that it is not being used for anti-submarine work. However, it uses shaped charges, and fires in salvos of 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12, which means it conceivably be useful in anti-armor or area attack roles.

About the Author

Cole Simms

Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.

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