Over the past year, the control range of Geran drones has approximately doubled and now stands at 150–175 kilometers from the nearest ground station, Defence Blog reported, citing its sources.
Instead of a direct connection to the operator, drones can form a decentralized network. Each device equipped with a radio module can act as an intermediate node and transmit data further along the chain. This allows maintaining the control channel and video transmission over a significantly greater distance.
According to the publication, similar systems have been installed on several Russian drone types since 2025. These include Geran, Gerbera, Orlan, Lancet, Supercam, and Molniya.
The most notable results were achieved with Geran and Gerbera. According to the publication's sources, a chain of MIMO mesh nodes allows maintaining control at a distance of up to 150–175 km from the furthest ground station. This is approximately twice the figures recorded in 2025.
Read more on the topic:
- Gerbera Reconnaissance UAV Learns to Operate Without Satellite Communication
- Geran drones completely switched to Mesh networks instead of satellites
- First Footage Emerges of "Geran-2" Drone Debris with Camera and Latest "Comet-M" Module