(IntegrityPress.org) – Russia is reportedly preparing to mass produce 6000 of their own variant of Iranian attack drones with the intention of using them for more attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Conflict Armament Research, an independent research group based in the UK, investigated two crashed drones discovered in Kyiv in July. These drones, initially thought to be Iranian Shahed-136s, had electronic components that were the same as those of Russian surveillance drones.
Named Geran-2, these single-use drones appear to be Russian adaptations of the Iranian models and were used by Russian forces to target cities in Ukraine last year. They are also referred to as “kamikaze” drones due to their explosive payloads that detonate upon impact. This has prompted concerns about their continued use.
Geran-2s are made of different materials than the Iranian Shahed drones. The Russian military is making sure these modifications have been tailored to better align with Russian requirements. Unlike the Iranian drones, the Russian models are constructed using fiberglass layered with woven carbon fiber, as opposed to the honeycomb material of their Iranian counterparts. Additionally, the electronic modules in the guidance sections of the drones, known as Kometa, were consistent with those found in Russian surveillance drones.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence indicated that the performance of these domestically-produced weapons has been hit or miss, with Ukraine successfully taking out most of them.
Damien Spleeters, who led the research, explained that this new iteration of the drone could enable Russia to sustain its attack strategy. He implied that because they are manufacturing the drones domestically, they most likely will continue to use drone attacks as a fundamental tactic in the war.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western nations imposed very strict sanctions to limit Russia’s access to foreign-made technology. Nevertheless, Russia has managed to find alternative means to acquire the necessary military supplies, whether it is through their allies like Iran, or, in this case, reverse engineering.
Copyright 2023, IntegrityPress.org
