The number of strike drones of the "Geran" family (based on Iranian Shahed) is of much less concern than the speed of their technical evolution. Russian engineers are "constantly adapting drones to make them less vulnerable," the Western publication Forbes wrote.
At the end of 2023, a new "stealth version" appeared with a dark coating that absorbs radio waves and also makes drones more invisible at night.
4G modems have also been found on "Gerans", which allow operators to track them in flight. With its help, UAVs can be reprogrammed to new coordinates. Another innovation was a camera, probably used for reconnaissance purposes, the journalists suggested.
According to Forbes, Russia is developing new warheads for "Gerans", including incendiary and thermobaric ones. This may affect the flight range of the UAV, but will increase its destructive capabilities.
The publication noted that the speed of the new jet version of Shahed-238 is more than 320 miles per hour (514 km/h). At the same time, Shahed-136 moved almost three times slower. This indicates the evolution of "Gerans", the journalists summarized.
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The War Zone called Shahed a long-range reconnaissance asset