Published by one of russian state-affiliated media channels, footage from the Ukrainian war front shows an unusual launch platform for a Molniya-series unmanned aerial vehicle. In its core is a VAZ-1111 Oka commercial car stripped of much of its body and thus effectively turned into a light utility vehicle, with a catapult mounted on top.
The doors and the back of the roof were discarded to open space for the inclined rail welded directly to the vehicle's skeleton. The video shows how a Molniya drone takes off, and while the crew in this case sticks close to the car, the cable length technically allows them to initiate launch from a considerable distance for safety.
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So far, this remains a standalone instance but in general, adapting civilian vehicles for military purposes is a widespread practice in both russian and Ukrainian military, dictated by wartime needs. The real question is whether a solution proves effective and starts appearing at scale.
For example, Ukrainian know-how of mounting BM-21 Grad artillery rocket launchers on pickup trucks has gained such popularity that it received an unofficial yet widely known name Sivalka.
As for russian VAZ-1111 Oka, the car is out of production these days but it was spotted a few times on battlefields as unprotected transport for troops.
Other types of cars have also seen transformations by field engineers, in particular, to support assault operations. Light vehicles, trucks, and even buses outfitted with anti-drone slat armor, or electronic warfare systems were occasionally spotted and reported by Ukrainian forces, often among the units destroyed by drones despite the band-aid protection.
Still, the main purpose of platforms like this Molniya launcher is to enhance mobility and save time during deployment. Out in the battlefield, this time may be the difference between survival and coming under an enemy drone strike.
Earlier, Defense Express wrote in detail about the specifications and features of the Molniya and Molniya-2 UAVs, highlighting both the threat they bring to the enemy force and their critical drawback. This drone family has been increasingly employed by russian forces and improved as a technology, including the integration of a thermobaric warhead and recently even the mothership function for smaller FPV drones.
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