Gerbera: New Long-Range Russian Drone Intensifies Challenges for Ukrainian Air Defense.

A new type of Russian drone is being used in combat in Ukraine, known as the Gerbera, as revealed by the Telegram channel @ASTRA. This long-range multirole drone is capable of conducting both attack and surveillance missions. Believed to be of Russian production, the Gerbera is seen as a complement to the Iranian-designed Shahed/Geran one-way attack drone and contributes to overwhelming Ukrainian defenses. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Screenshot of the video showing the Gerbera drone in action, which uses a camera similar to those installed on FPV drones for manual targeting by the operator(Picture source: Telegram Channel @ASTRA)

The first evidence of this new drone emerged during the week of July 22, 2024, when photos of an example apparently downed in the Kyiv region on July 24 were posted on Ukrainian social media. The drone in question reportedly did not have a warhead, indicating it was performing a mission other than an attack. This foam-bodied UAV has only recently been used by the Russians against Ukraine.

On July 28, the Russian unit Stalin’s Falcons released a video showing the Gerbera drone developed by the Gastello Design Bureau. According to this unit, the drone could be used for electronic reconnaissance, as a kamikaze drone, or as a decoy for air defense systems. Previously published photos show that a drone without a warhead was found in the Kyiv region on July 24, indicating it was performing a reconnaissance or other function.

According to video footage, the strike version of the Gerbera drone uses a camera similar to those installed on FPV drones for manual targeting by the operator. The targeting accuracy depends on the operator's skills, as even in the propaganda video, it is evident that the drone did not hit the target but exploded nearby.

Various images of the Gerbara drone, including some captured by Ukrainian defense forces (Picture source: Telegram Channel @ASTRA)

The flight range of a drone with a warhead is likely relatively short, limited by the range of direct radio communication. However, another drone equipped with a transponder can be used to guide the Gerbera drone, a technique similar to that used by the Russians with the Lancet loitering munition. The drone downed or suppressed in the Kyiv region had two 3G/4G antennas and a modem with a SIM card inside, which can provide a more stable communication channel for transmitting video to the operator’s control panel via the Ukrainian mobile network. Alternatively, the Russians used this equipment to have the drone transmit its location when it was shot down or suppressed by electronic warfare so that other drones would bypass the area. Observers estimate that these drones should not cost more than $10,000 each and fly at an altitude of 1,000 meters, putting them out of range of machine guns and automatic rifles.

It is also likely that the drone can fly along a predetermined route without operator intervention and without a repeater, similar to the Iranian-origin Shahed kamikaze drones, called Geran in Russia. The serial numbers on the new drones also begin with the letter “И,” like the Shahed drones. Additionally, it is stated that these drones could form a swarm.

The exact range and payload capacity of the Russian Gerbera UAV are currently unknown. However, the fact that it reached the Kyiv region indicates it can travel at least several hundred kilometers.

It is presumed that Gerbera drones are manufactured at a plant in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, near the city of Yelabuga in the Tatarstan region of Russia. The production of Shahed/Geran drones has also been established there.

The appearance of this new drone is surely a concern for Ukrainian air defense operators, who are already heavily tasked with defending Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure targets against the Shahed/Geran series, as well as the cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and air-launched munitions that continue to bombard their country.