russia Reveals Dan-T’s 450-km Range for First Time in Egypt: Is It Related to Izdeliye 720?
russia not only displayed the Dan-T air-launched weapon at the El Alamein International Airshow in Egypt, but also disclosed a set of specifications that may shed some light on the weapon’s origins.
According to the specifications presented by Rosoboronexport, the Dan-T has a launch weight of 268 kg, carries a 130-kg warhead, can reach a maximum speed of 500 km/h, and has a claimed range of up to 450 km. Janes reported these specifications following the weapon’s public debut in Egypt.
According to the same report, the Dan-T is designed to be launched from a “wide range of aircraft and helicopters” produced by russia and other countries. Moscow is therefore hoping to give the weapon broad export potential. The Dan-T reportedly uses a combined GNSS/INS navigation system.
Janes analysts also suggest that the Dan-T is actually an export version of the S8000 Banderol, a jet-powered air-launched weapon that russia has been actively using against Ukraine. The visual similarity between the two weapons is particularly notable.
At Defense Express, however, we want to take this analysis a step further. Looking again at the photographs of the Dan-T mounted under a Mi-28, the weapon initially invites comparison with the LMUR missile, also known as Izdeliye 305 or Kh-39, which is carried by the same type of attack helicopter.
This is especially interesting because integrating the Dan-T into the Mi-28’s weapons suite significantly expands the strike capabilities of this russian helicopter family. The contrast becomes even more apparent when comparing it with the LMUR. Despite having a launch weight of 105 kg, the LMUR carries a warhead weighing only about 25 kg and has a maximum claimed range of roughly 25 km.
However, at least in terms of its overall dimensions, the Dan-T can also be compared with the parameters previously associated with the Izdeliye 720 cruise missile project. Information about this weapon emerged in 2023-2024, although its subsequent development path remains unclear.
According to Piotr Butowski, a well-known analyst of russian military aviation, the Izdeliye 720 was reportedly intended to occupy a niche similar to that of the Kh-69. Its estimated specifications included a launch weight of 450 kg, a fuselage length of 3.4 meters, and a wingspan of 2 meters.
Given that the fate of the Izdeliye 720 project remains unknown, it is reasonable to consider the possibility that the Banderol and Dan-T represent further development of ideas originally explored under this unfinished russian cruise-missile project.
This brings us to the main point of this analysis. It is entirely possible that russia was able to turn the Dan-T and Banderol jet-powered weapons into actual production systems and launch their serial production only with direct technological and resource support from its “partners” in the so-called Axis of Evil.
Ivan Kyrychevskiy, serviceman of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and weapons expert at Defense Express.
Read more: Why russia’s Jet-Powered Drones Fly at 7 km, Which Air Defense Systems Cannot Reach Them
Credit: Source link