ZALA 421-16Е2

ZALA 421-16Е2 is a short-range reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle made by Zala Aero Group of Russia, part of the company's Z-16 family of small fixed-wing UAVs. Zala Aero's current product page presents this airframe under the designation ZALA Z-16E, and labels one of its interchangeable camera payloads for the "ZALA 421-16E" — the export and legacy naming under which this entry was originally catalogued.

Overview

Zala Aero Group is a Russian UAV developer headquartered in Izhevsk, founded in 2003, according to Wikipedia. The Z-16 family that includes the 421-16Е2 is marketed as a compact, hand- and pneumatic-launcher-deployed reconnaissance platform intended for remote aerial observation: searching for, detecting and monitoring stationary and moving objects by day and night, and relaying command, telemetry and video over its own radio links.

Zala Aero's current listing for this airframe emphasises electronic-warfare resistance rather than raw performance, describing the type as hardened against jamming with an interference-protected communication channel, signal retransmission to extend control range, and a reduced radar and acoustic signature.

Design and capabilities

Zala Aero's product page gives the Z-16E a maximum take-off weight of 12 kg, an endurance of 3.5 hours, a control and video-link range of 50 km, and a service ceiling of 5,000 m, cruising at an airspeed of 70–100 km/h. It launches from a pneumatic catapult and lands by parachute, with an internal air shock absorber to protect its payload on touchdown; Zala Aero also advertises hand-launch options elsewhere in the Z-16 family. Propulsion is electric.

The airframe accepts a wide range of interchangeable payloads, per Zala Aero's current listing: stabilised day/thermal camera gimbals with optical zoom up to 60x, a thermal imager paired with a laser designator, full-frame still-photography modules up to 60 megapixels, a dual-camera mapping payload, a multispectral agricultural-survey camera, a laser methane-leak detector, and a radiation dosimeter with live readout — reflecting both the military reconnaissance role this entry was originally catalogued under and civil applications Zala Aero now markets for the same airframe.

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of ZALA 421-16Е2?

Zala Aero's current product page quotes a control and video-link range of 50 km for this airframe, marketed as the Z-16E.

How long can it fly?

Up to 3.5 hours, per Zala Aero's current specifications.

How is it launched and recovered?

It takes off from a pneumatic catapult and lands by parachute, with an internal air shock absorber to protect its payload.

What payloads can it carry?

Zala Aero lists interchangeable day/thermal camera gimbals, a laser designator module, high-resolution still-photography payloads, a multispectral agricultural camera, a methane-leak detector and a radiation dosimeter.

Who makes ZALA 421-16Е2?

Zala Aero Group, a Russian UAV developer headquartered in Izhevsk and founded in 2003.