Russia improving Shaheds: drones are made radio-controlled and capable of exchanging data
A new russian drone, similar to a smaller version of the Shahed, may indicate the russian federation's plans to transfer some of its drones to radio control and provide data exchange between them.
Military analyst, engineer and radio technology specialist Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov stated this, referring to the characteristics of the UAV published by the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
According to him, the design of the drone has been found to contain Chinese copies of the RFD900x data transmission modules, capable of operating at a distance of up to 40 km in the direct line of sight. These modules, in combination with the Pixhawk autopilot, allow you to control the drone via radio or combine several such devices into a "swarm" for joint actions.
The Defense Intelligence reported that the drone is used as a dummy target or reconnaissance drone, and all its components are Chinese-made. According to Beskrestnov, such modifications can provide russian drones with new capabilities: from coordinating attacks and reconnaissance to operating in conditions where GPS is unavailable due to Ukrainian electronic warfare equipment.
The radio-controlled Shaheds will be able to attack moving objects, avoid air defense systems and act synchronously, which will significantly complicate their interception, the expert warns.
Meanwhile, the Air Forces are learning to distinguish russian simulator drones from Shahed strike drones using certain flight parameters.