Russia’s new drone outruns old Shahed by four times and tracks its target in real time. Its own heat is what lets Ukraine track it back
Its size and heat signature make it vulnerable, a Ukrainian colonel says.
Russia's new Geran-3 drone is four times faster than the old Shahed drone and can track its target in real time, according to Colonel Artem Skurativskyi of Ukraine's 7th Rapid Response Corps air-defense directorate. The jet-powered Geran-3 outruns the old Shahed drone due to its higher flight speed and optical-electronic camera module, which allows an operator to guide the loitering munition online.
However, the Geran-3's size and heat make it vulnerable to radar detection and shoulder-fired missiles, limiting its effectiveness. Despite these weaknesses, Russia is still using the Geran-3 in limited numbers, with around 20% of Shahed strikes employing the jet version. The drone is primarily used against critical infrastructure, energy, and military targets in eastern, southern, and central Ukraine.
While Ukraine has adapted its defenses to counter Shahed drones, the speed of the Geran-3 makes it challenging for mobile fire groups to intercept. Nonetheless, some Ukrainian troops have successfully downed jet Shaheds with interceptors.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
