Russia's drone upgrades spark Ukrainian countermeasures
The Russian Federation Army is modernizing its Shahed drones, reports the Ukrainian agency Unian, citing the Institute for the Study of War. Although this means the aggressor can fly them higher and faster, the defenders are not leaving these Russian improvements unanswered and are enhancing their tactics for shooting down the threat.
The Institute for the Study of War notes that the Russians are modernizing their Shahed drones. Earlier versions were said to be very slow, difficult to manoeuvre, and could only fly at low altitudes.
Improving their drones. Shaheds fly higher and faster
After the changes, the Russian Federation has eliminated the biggest flaws of the Iranian designs. Shahed-136 drones now fly at higher cruising speeds and can also ascend to greater altitudes. This theoretically means that shooting down the threat will be much more difficult for Ukrainians.
In practice, however, Kyiv has quickly responded to Moscow, as Ukrainian fire groups have adapted to the new threat and devised appropriate tactics to handle the improved Shaheds. Experts linked to the military industry, however, point out that the Ukrainian armed forces should be prepared for the possibility that Russians will produce more and more drones and simultaneously strive to make them harder to shoot down.
According to Unian, Ukrainians are developing tactics to counteract the threat posed by Shaheds more effectively. These tactics involve a primarily "innovative detection system" based on microphones deployed throughout the country. The central system subsequently analyzes microphone data, tracks each drone's path, and determines its probable target.
Shahed-136 drones
In Russia, the Shahed-136 drones mentioned are known as Geran-2. Currently produced Shaheds, used by Russian forces, are powered by a copy of the German Limbach L550E engine, known as the Mado MD550. This engine generates power of around 50 hp, enabling the drone to reach speeds of about 185 km/h. According to some sources, a Shahed can cover up to 2,000 kilometres.
The Geran-2's wings span 2.5 metres, and its length is about 3.5 metres. The entire structure weighs 200 kilograms, with the warhead accounting for approximately 40 kilograms. In some versions of the Shaheds, the Russians installed Kometa receivers to limit the effects of disruptions generated by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
