Romania shot down two drones it believes were Russia’s new Geran-4s. Europe isn’t ready for swarms of them, analyst warns
Analyst Fabian Hoffmann says jet-powered interceptors are one answer, but too few Western suppliers make the small engines they need.
European NATO nations, in a direct clash with Russia, would likely face even greater vulnerability compared to Ukraine from swarms of the Russian military's new jet-powered strike weapons, warns Fabian Hoffmann of the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. In an October 20 op-ed for the Center for European Policy Analysis, Hoffmann refers to these weapons as low-cost cruise missiles.
On October 17, Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down two such jet-powered Geran-family drones over Romania's territorial waters in the Black Sea. Interim Defense Minister Radu Miruță confirmed the drones were likely Geran-4s, marking the first time Romania had taken down this type. These drones, which fly at around 450 km/h, posed a faster threat compared to slower Shahed-type drones, according to Ukraine's military intelligence.
The Geran-4 drone, which Russia began using in May, is designed to reach speeds of up to 500 km/h and may exceed 600 km/h, according to Hoffmann's assessment.
These drones, costing between $150,000 and $250,000 each, present a significant challenge for European and US defense systems, which lack sufficient jet engines. Ukraine has been testing four new drone interceptors, with the Bars interceptor showing the highest success rate, according to President Zelenskyy. However, the availability of jet engines remains a bottleneck, as few European and US suppliers can meet the demand.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
