The outstanding performance of cruise missiles on the Russian Ukrainian battlefield has aroused great interest in this weapon from the outside world, and China has also been involved in this field. In addition to the cruise missiles that have already been developed and have performance comparable to the United States, new related equipment has also entered the research and development stage.

        On the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine, drones and cruise missiles have performed exceptionally well in combat, especially Russia's "Willow Blade" cruise missile, which has caused huge damage to a large number of important Ukrainian military targets and successfully reduced casualties for the Russian military, expanding the Russian military's battlefield advantage.

        In recent months, it can be seen that the frequency of the Russian military's use of the "Lancet" cruise missile has significantly increased. According to Western media reports, the Russian military launches the "Lancet" at least 20 times a day, destroying many heavy equipment that Western aid Ukraine has provided and being used by the Russian military to attack low value targets such as Ukrainian trenches, infantry units, and logistical supplies.

        In addition, during a recent exchange between Russian President Putin and the General Manager of the Russian State Technology Corporation, they expressed their appreciation for the "Lancet" cruise missile and hoped that the manufacturer could further increase production.

A tool to change the rules of the battlefield

        Patrol missile is a combat weapon that falls between cruise missiles and drones. It can conduct long-term cruise patrols over the battlefield, and once it detects a target with attack characteristics, it can immediately lock onto and launch an attack. From a technical classification perspective, it is similar to drones but primarily used for carrying out attack missions.

        Seizing air superiority is a necessary prerequisite for conducting ground attacks. With the advent of cruise missiles, there is no longer a need to seize air superiority. Simply using cruise missiles can maintain ground surveillance and attack capabilities on a vast battlefield.

        As long as there are patrol missiles flying in the sky, targets on the ground, whether they are people, vehicles, large artillery, or missiles, are not easily exposed because once their features are exposed, the patrol missiles will immediately lock onto and launch an attack, which can be considered a powerful tool to change the rules of the battlefield at present.

        There are currently two key thresholds for the development of cruise missiles: intelligence and low cost.

        Regarding intelligence, if cruise missiles rely on manual control, the number of cruise missiles used will be limited and their power will be greatly reduced. But if artificial intelligence technology is introduced, cruise missiles can automatically detect, lock in, and attack targets, and can be used on a large scale, thereby improving their attack capabilities.

        As for the issue of low cost, it is because the design of the cruise missile is disposable, so it requires large-scale production. If the cost cannot be reduced, the production volume will be limited, which will have an impact on the combat capability.

China's cruise missiles are not inferior to those of the United States

        Such important weapons and equipment naturally did not fall behind in our country. At the previous Zhuhai Airshow, the "Dark Blade" unmanned vehicle mounted cruise missile system attracted a lot of attention.

        This is an intelligent device that combines unmanned vehicles and cruise missiles. The roof is equipped with a quadruple mounted cruise missile launch system, which can adjust the angle freely. Normally, when the "Dark Blade" unmanned vehicle is driving at high speed, the launch device will be flattened and pressed against the roof, which can effectively increase the vehicle's speed and reduce the probability of being detected.

        When it is necessary to engage in combat or attack targets, the launching device will rise and form a certain angle with the roof of the vehicle, thereby executing the attack mission.

        The AD10 cruise missile it is equipped with is an intelligent missile weapon that combines the characteristics of cruise missiles and drones. In addition to possessing the ability to strike, it also has certain patrol, investigation, and target indication capabilities. After launch, it can conduct aerial reconnaissance on the battlefield and provide target location information for rear firepower units.

        In addition, it can actively attack and strike various high-value targets, including armored vehicles, missile launchers, command centers, and logistics supplies.

        The cruising speed of AD10 cruise missile can reach 110 kilometers per hour, and the maximum level flight speed can reach 180 kilometers per hour. Can fly continuously in the air for more than an hour. And its combat radius exceeds 20 kilometers, with a strike error of less than 1.5 meters. That is to say, for general targets, it can hit them directly with one shot from a distance of 20 kilometers.

        In addition, due to the current performance of the US "Spring Knife" cruise missile on the Ukrainian battlefield, some people have compared it with China's AD10 cruise missile, and the final conclusion is that the AD10 cruise missile is stronger than the US "Spring Knife" in multiple performance indicators.