Ukraine unveils new long range drone – the Russian Gerbera.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is experiencing a new type of Russian long range drone. The Gerbera is said to be a long range drone, used for multiple cerco lles and reconnaissance purposes. Another notable product of that same decade is the new Gerbera one-way attack drone, a recent addition to the Iranian-designed Shahed/Geran long range models, which are similarly common.
Combat Use of the Long Range Drone
The first indication of this new long range drone came last week when Ukrainian social media shared photos appearing to show what was left of a downed Gerbera in the Kyiv region on July 24. That particular drone was unarmed, which raises the suspicion that it may have been performing only surveillance rather than preparing for an attack. According to Ukrainian Defense Express, it was mostly undamaged upon being brought down by…possibly not the Ukrainians?
Gerbera Long Range Droned – Specification
The Gerbera long range drone from Russia, for example, has a large delta wing with cranked leading edges also similar to the Geran. The Gerbera more closely resembles a conventional aircraft, but instead of being fitted with horizontal stabilizers at the wingtips it features only a single vertical tailfin mounted just forward of its pusher propeller that is driven by an internal combustion engine. Going by Ukrainian reports the Gerbera seems to have a wingspan on par with that of – 2 meters, slightly smaller than its rival’s (actually it’s significantly longer one – 2.5 m vs. “8,) Geran-2 / Shahed-136. The drone is of a modified foam that does not reflect radar and is painted black like some examples of the Geran.
Versatility and Capabilities
The Gerbera long range drone is a multirole platform. Ukrainian servicemember Serhii Flesh told that the Gerbera is designed for reconnaissance and can also serve as a decoy, notably to draw away Ukrainian air defense systems. While these drones are probably not capable of operating dynamically as an actual swarm, they can still be deployed in pre-planned groups where each drone functions independently
More Research and Reports by Category
There is also video evidence to support the claim, a report from the Russian unit Stalin’s Falcons on July 28 (to add an aside:) shows where the Gerbera [can be used either] as a kamikaze or attack drone; electronic warfare platform, and even decoy. The drone is said to be developed by the Gastello Design Bureau and could potentially be produced at the same Yelabuga, Tatarstan plant where Geran drones come from.
As a note of interest, the Gerbera striker version, in all likelihood initially employed camera guidance for targeting (i.e., fitted with what is most likely as close to “man-in-the-loop” terminal pseudo-BLOS sighting so nothing that even remotely suggests real BLOS operations here) and therefore had limited range. Another option is to use airborne relays, but this has some very critical limitations for most scenarios. The Ukrainians claim that the Gerbera drone could also be fitted with 3G/4G antennas and a SIM card, providing an intermittent communication channel.
Consequences and Future Worries
It is unclear as to the exact size, weight, range, and payload of the Gerbera long range drone. But the fact that it has shown up in Ukraine means its range is likely pretty big. One recovered exemplar bodes poorly for the Gerbera, suggesting that it is a more recently acquired addition to Russia’s naval arsenal.
Although the Shahed/Geran family was successful, Russia continues to develop long range drones like Gerbera with the aim of improving its aircraft. These drones, which are likely cheaper and easier to produce than the Shahed-136s could be used as both a means of saturating Ukrainian air defenses or simply diverting resources away.
As the Ukrainian authorities have presumably been poring over every inch of that Gerbera, we can probably expect to learn more about its capabilities and effects. So the emergence of this but-new long range drone not only gives Ukrainian air defense operators even more trouble dealing with a cacophony of aerial threats. If you are interested in earbuds and headphones, then please follow this blog post.
