Fighters of the African Corps (a paramilitary formation subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defence) have begun using the latest "Garpia-A1" loitering munition in Mali. This is reported by Defence blog author Dylan Malyasov, referring to alleged drone wreckage found in the African country.
This refers to a modernized version of the "Garpia-A1" KK series, equipped with a warhead for air detonation. That is, the detonation occurs not at the moment of impact with the target, but when the drone is above it.
"Garpia-A1" is the Russian version of the Iranian Shahed-136 drone. UAVs are produced at the facilities of the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant "Kupol". It is mainly assembled from parts supplied by China.
Malyasov claims that Russia bought technologies from Iran for the production of Shahed-type attack drones. Based on them, Russian engineers are building new versions of loitering munitions.
The author of Defence blog writes that the "Garpia-A1" KK series received a modernized navigation system resistant to interference.
According to experts, the maximum payload of the drone is up to 150 kg, the maximum speed is up to 185 km/h, and the flight range is up to 1500 km.
The loitering munition was allegedly found near the city of Sevare in the Mopti region. Unlike previous versions of "Garpia", it was painted gray.
Malyasov also noted that a laser rangefinder manufactured by LightWare Optoelectronics (South Africa) was installed inside the found "Garpia-A1". Probably, the Russians, when purchasing components in Africa, used the same sanction circumvention schemes as in the case of China, he concluded.
Officially, the African Corps is in Mali at the invitation of local authorities to fight militants, as well as to train Malian army personnel. The Russian Ministry of Defence is responsible for supplying weapons to the fighters. The department did not disclose what types of unmanned systems military specialists use.