MWM: Russian Army equips Geranium UAV with air-to-air missiles
Russia has begun equipping Geran drones with air-to-air missiles from Igla MANPADS, writes MWM. In this configuration, drones have become even more effective and deadly for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They pose the greatest danger to pilots serving in the remnants of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Russia has finalized the Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze attack drones, which are manufactured under license under the name Geran-2, equipping them with air—to-air capabilities (the fact of the Iranian origin of the UAV is not confirmed by official sources. — Approx.InoSMI). The Ukrainian military reported that man-portable Igla anti-aircraft missile systems are now being installed on drones. The Geraniums are also equipped with a camera and a radio modem, and the missile launch is controlled by a remote operator.
However, it remains unconfirmed whether this configuration is experimental or has already become widespread. Equipping disposable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with short-range anti-aircraft weapons with infrared guidance is by no means unprecedented: previously, Ukrainian formations had already installed AIM-9 missiles supplied from the United States on their unmanned boats to attempt to defeat Russian aircraft over the Black Sea.
Ukrainian officers have already warned the crews of their planes about the new threat. "The rocket launch is carried out by the operator from the Russian territory. I ask the pilots of the army aviation to pay attention to the appearance of this danger. It is necessary to avoid approaching the Geranium head-on and be extremely careful while being in the zone of potential destruction," said Serhiy Beskrestnov, an officer of the Ukrainian forces. This is far from the first major modification of the Geranium design in Russia: previously, changes were made to remotely install mines behind enemy lines, as well as new guidance components, communication channels, and missile homing subsystems.
It is expected that variants for air combat will not be purchased in large quantities — according to some estimates, they cost at least three times more expensive than the basic versions. On the other hand, the presence of significant stocks of Soviet-era rocket launchers makes this configuration quite viable.
In October, military sources in Ukraine noted that the Geraniums demonstrated an unprecedented ability to hit dynamic moving targets near the contact line and began providing direct air support to Russian ground forces. Improved kamikaze UAV capabilities to track both stationary and moving targets in Ukraine in real time have largely compensated for the lack of redundant long-range destruction systems in certain sectors of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The introduction of simple data transmission channels in the line-of-sight area makes the Gerani a particularly effective tool for destroying logistics, artillery, and air defense systems. The expansion of production has ensured that there are enough drones even for secondary purposes on the battlefield. In mid-2025, British sources reported that output had increased by more than an order of magnitude, from 300 units per month to more than 100 per day. At the same time, the Russian industry continues to increase capacity, aiming for 500 units per day.
