Scalpel

Scalpel overview

Scalpel is a Russian loitering-munition designation publicly attributed in reporting to the Vostok design bureau. It is generally described as a compact electric strike UAV in the same broad mission class as the Lancet, but similarity of mission or appearance does not establish common manufacture, identical avionics, or equivalent performance. The attribution to Vostok is retained as reported rather than treated as an independently confirmed corporate specification.

Public reporting has not produced a consistently verifiable technical specification for the illustrated configuration. Dimensions, propulsion, speed, range, endurance, ceiling, launch method, control link, payload mass, warhead type, and sensor package are Not publicly disclosed. The supplied image is interpretative catalog art and cannot validate the cruciform wing arrangement, production standard, or any performance claim.

The designation has been reported as a Russian development associated with battlefield-oriented testing or production claims, but public evidence does not settle production quantity, regular operator, or service-entry date. Through September 2026, Scalpel remains a reported Russian loitering-munition program rather than a profile with independently confirmed fleet data.

Armament

Loitering-munition warhead; type, mass, and production fit Not publicly disclosed

Development and operational timeline

1. Sep 2023Scalpel is publicly reported as a Russian loitering-munition development associated with Vostok
2. Jun 2024Reporting compares the program's mission class with other Russian loitering munitions without establishing common manufacture
3. Aug 2025Claims of battlefield-oriented testing or production continue, while technical data remain incomplete
4. Sep 2026Scalpel remains a reported Russian program; production scale, operators, and verified performance are Not publicly disclosed