Russia's drone capabilities have improved to such an extent that this year Tehran turned to Moscow with a request to deliver advanced Geran drones for use in the conflict with Israel and the United States, the Financial Times reports, citing Western security officials and sources close to the Kremlin.
The publication notes that the Geran is a modernized version of the Shahed drone (Iranian development), the production of which Russia will begin in 2023. The first generation, the Geran-1, carries a warhead weighing up to 20 kg and reaches a maximum speed of 185 km/h.
In contrast, the jet Geran-5 - first used by Russia in January this year - can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h, carrying a 90 kg warhead to a distance of up to 1,000 km.
"While the "Geran-4" uses a more aerodynamic version of the original body, the "Geran-5" has a new design that more closely resembles a cruise missile," the article states.
The publication explains that the improvements go beyond speed and shape. Older "Geran" models relied on primitive guidance systems, while newer variants are equipped with thermal imaging cameras, artificial intelligence-based guidance systems, Russian anti-jamming antennas and Chinese network modems for radio communication.
"A Russian operator flies at an altitude of 2-5 km, detects a target and fixes it using the camera; "The Shahed then automatically carries out the attack," notes Serhiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister.
According to him, almost all of the jet drones currently attacking Ukraine are equipped with such cameras. The article notes that centralized production has allowed the Kremlin to modify the drones, use accumulated combat experience, and quickly introduce new models. The cost of these drones is negligible compared to the missiles that have made up the bulk of Moscow's previous air campaigns. "The reason Russia has been able to create a large-scale new production line from scratch is that from a technological point of view it is much simpler than manufacturing tanks - a process that requires huge, specialized, and expensive equipment," explained Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies.