Russian troops have modernized their Geran-2 (Shahed) attack drones by equipping them with a man-portable air defense missile system. In the new configuration, the drone can hit air targets and at the same time remain a full-fledged strike UAV with a main warhead.
The Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has explained how the modernized drones work.
It is a modification of the "E" series, which has a "Verba" man-portable air defense system on board. In this way, the enemy is trying to adapt its unmanned platforms to the effective work of the Ukrainian Air Forces and Army Aviation, which systematically destroy enemy drones.
The russians have previously used the Geran-2 with a Soviet R-60 air-to-air missile. Now, the drone has received a different configuration - with a man-portable anti-aircraft missile system designed to engage air targets at low altitudes.
The use of this version involves manual control by the operator in real time. The Chinese optical camera Honpho TS130C-01, installed in the nose of the drone, as well as the Xingkay Tech XK-F358 mesh modem made in China, are used for observation and guidance
After detecting an aerial target, the operator activates two servos in stages. The first one launches a chemical battery and a nitrogen cylinder to cool the homing head of the air defense system. The second one opens a special protective cover when the desired temperature is reached. The missile's trigger mechanism is fixed in a permanently depressed position, which ensures automatic launch immediately after the target is captured by the homing head.
The key difference between this modification and the version with the R-60 missile is the presence of a full-fledged main warhead on the drone itself. The prototype is equipped with a thermobaric warhead TBBCH-50M. After launching an anti-aircraft missile, the drone retains the ability to perform the main strike mission, including operator guidance.
Other components and units are typical for such Geran drones: flight controller, inertial navigation system, 12-channel "Kometa", tracker based on Raspberry microcomputer, as well as 3G/4G modems.
At the same time, the inertial navigation system for the first time recorded the use of the 6-axis module SCH1633-D0I manufactured by the Japanese company Murata. This component was presented at the end of 2024 as a civilian solution for automotive autonomous driving and driver assistance systems.
According to the Defense Intelligence, the drone uses components from the United States, China, Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The intelligence notes that the publication of these materials is aimed at exposing international technological chains involved in russian military aggression and increasing sanctions pressure on russia.
We will remind, fighters of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine intercepted a russian Shahed-type attack drone, which was equipped with a portable anti-aircraft missile system.
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