The global arms industry is increasingly focused on reducing the cost of strike weapons, a trend that helps explain Russia’s growing use of small missiles. Denis Fedutinov, a leading expert in unmanned aviation, linked Moscow’s approach to a broader shift in weapons development.

According to Fedutinov, defense manufacturers worldwide are stepping up efforts to produce mass-market kamikaze drones and inexpensive cruise missiles.

Among the most notable examples, he identified the American Barracuda-500M developed by Anduril Industries, the Maverick from Ares Industries and the Anthem produced by Covenant. He also highlighted two European projects: MBDA’s Crossbow and the Ruta B1 developed by Destinus.

Russia is pursuing similar efforts to develop and manufacture affordable cruise missiles.

In an interview with TASS, Fedutinov identified turbojet-powered versions of the Geran drones, along with the Banderol and Dan-T systems, as examples of domestically developed low-cost strike weapons. He added that the Filin cruise missile further expands this category.

The expert emphasized that having a broad selection of strike systems allows military forces to match weapons to specific targets rather than waste expensive munitions on objectives that can be destroyed with cheaper alternatives.

This approach reflects the growing importance of cost efficiency in modern warfare, where different types of targets require different levels of firepower.

Fedutinov also suggested that Russia could further expand its inventory of inexpensive cruise missiles.

One potential addition is the Dan-M, an aircraft originally developed as an unmanned aerial target.

According to the specialist, the platform could eventually be converted into a strike drone, adding another option to Russia’s expanding range of lower-cost weapons.