Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
The Russian military is testing what appears to be a miniature version of the Geran drone, Ukrainian media reported on June 22.
The fixed-wing drone, which is equipped with a first-person-view camera and a two-way datalink, was spotted more than once along the Russian-Ukrainian border recently. One drone that crashed didn’t contain any warhead, which suggests that this type was mainly designed to carry out reconnaissance.
Click to see full-size image.
Still, just like larger drones of the Geran family, the new drone could carry a warhead for use in one-way attacks. It could also be used as a decoy.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
Click to see full-size image. Via Telegram.
Russia already produces three versions of the Geran, which are alleged to be copies of the Iranian-made Shahed-131, 136 and 238 suicide drones.
The Geran-1 and 2 are both pusher-propelled. The first has a range of 900 kilometers with a warhead weighing 15 kg, while the second has a range of 2,500 kilometers with a warhead weighing 50 kg. Meanwhile, the Geran-3, which is propelled by a turbojet engine, has a range of 2,500 kilometers and a warhead weighing 90 kg.
All three versions of the Geran are guided via a GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system. Loitering munition versions with terminal electro-optical homing, including one with an artificial intelligence model, are reported to be at least in development.
Due to their small radar cross-section and minimal infrared signature, Geran drones are extremely difficult to intercept. A smaller version would be even harder to deal with.
The use of Geran drones expanded significantly over the past year. In addition, the drones are constantly being upgraded and refined by the Russian military.
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we’re testing orc & muslim fertilizer…heheheh
why is the camera mounted there?
its mounted there to be far away from the diesel engine where air waves generated by the propeller could interfere with the highly sensitive camera also its on a more solid structural part of the drone so wont be affected by vibration of the engine.
why not at the front? or centered? that seems more intuitive. not that i’m knowledgeable on such matters.
the front tapers so less solid structure -military drones are tested in a wind tunnel with vibration detectors attached as well as high speed cameras to show wind-flow variations around the drone body .russian aeronautical engineers go the extra mile that equals reliability.
the diesel motor used in the smaller drones is a double cylinder version of the russian motop-mk-17 at £84 .in the fifties those engines were used in fixed wire controlled hobby self built balsa model airplanes. as is typical in the usa the cost charged towards usa tax payers is miles higher than that.
perhaps it would be better to attach an explosive device and a camera to a model airplane and send it into battle.
russia are making it up as they go. seems they are lost and don’t know what to do against ukraine. here’s a suggestion…surrender and withdraw from ukraine but the sanctions will not be lifted and the leaders of the invasion will be subject to prosecution and russian must finance forever the restoration and compensation of ukraine and for the involvement of the usa, uk, europe and nato for the effort and expenditure they have put in to support ukraine.
all of this has been invented long time ago, and far better … german v1 missile was having 600kmh speed,250km range and 850 kg warhead and cost less than ww2 german car ..