New Belarusian drones pose an evolving threat with primitive tactics

During a parade in Minsk, new drones labelled "Kochevnyk," which are a version of the Russian Geran-2, effectively the Iranian Shahed-136 were spotted in the Belarusian armed forces' arsenal. We explain the capabilities of the new Belarusian weapon.

At the parade in Minsk, strike drones appeared, giving Belarus new options for attacking targets located even over 1,000 kilometres behind the front line. It's worth noting that these are primitive drones, which, in the case of large-scale usage and the presence of missiles from the Polonez system, can complicate the work of enemy air defence.

“Kochevnyk” drones are a variant of the Geran-2, licensed from Iranian Shahed-136 drones for which Russia paid Iran in gold. These simple drones are based on a delta wing configuration with a wingspan of 2.4 metres and feature two vertical stabilizers at the ends. The drone's total length is 3.5 metres, and its weight is around 200 kilograms, with approximately 50 kilograms dedicated to the warhead.

If it hits, the warhead can cause significant damage. However, there might be some issues because the drone is equipped only with simple guidance based on a civilian inertial and satellite navigation module. This makes it more susceptible to jamming, and it can only attack stationary targets along a pre-programmed flight path.

It’s worth noting that throughout the war in Ukraine, the Russians continuously improved the Shaheds, adding, for example, a SIM card router to know when and where the drone was shot down or painting them black.

The drone is powered by a pusher propeller driven by a four-cylinder boxer engine type for drones, MD 550, with 50 HP, which is a Chinese copy of the German LIMBACH L550 E engine, and the fuel supply should be enough for a range of 1,000 to 2,500 kilometres.

Because of this, the drone is noisy, which makes it easier to detect even when flying at low altitudes. Due to its simple flight trajectory and a cruising speed of 180 kilometres per hour, it is a straightforward target not only for self-propelled systems like the Gepard but even for Ukrainian intervention groups with small arms and large-calibre machine guns or automatic cannons mounted on pickup trucks.