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Russia’s defense giant Almaz-Antey will present the export version of the Garpiya-A1 one-way attack drone for the first time at the Vietnam Defense Show and Airshow China, a source in the Russian defense industry told the state-run TASS news agency on September 29.
Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms exporter, confirmed in a statement that plans to offer the drone for export are in place.
“Almaz-Antey will present the export version of the long-range Garpiya-A1 (E) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time at the Vietnam Defense Show and Airshow China. Its stated range for engaging stationary targets is up to 1,000 km, with precision of up to 4 meters and a maximum speed of at least 170 km/h,” the source said.
The Garpiya-A1 E can carry a warhead weighing more than 50 kilograms and operate at altitudes between 50 and 2,500 meters, according to TASS. It has a stated maximum range of about 1,000 kilometers and a flight endurance of at least six hours. The drone is based on a flying-wing design with a rear-mounted propeller and has a takeoff weight of 250 kilograms.
Rosoboronexport chief Alexander Mikheyev has previously described the Garpiya-A1 E as the only loitering munition available for export with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. He said the system has already attracted interest from foreign customers and that Russia is prepared to negotiate both sales and the possible localization of production in countries considered friendly to Moscow.
The export campaign indicates that Russia’s ability to manufacture one-way attack drones has expanded substantially during the special military operation in Ukraine.
The Garpiya-A1 was first reported as entering Russian production in 2023. Reuters reported in September 2024, citing European intelligence sources and production documents, that more than 2,500 Garpiya drones had been produced between July 2023 and July 2024.
That production was later expanded further. Internal documents reviewed by Reuters showed that the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol had a Russian Defense Ministry contract to produce more than 6,000 Garpiya drones in 2025, compared with 2,000 in 2024. More than 1,500 had already been delivered by April 2025, according to the documents.
The decision to seek foreign customers suggests that Russian industry now has the capacity to devote at least part of its output to exports while continuing large-scale production for the needs of the special military operation.
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