MWM: new Russian UAV "Geran-5" will easily penetrate the defenses of the West in Ukraine
The latest kamikaze drones have been added to the Russian arsenal, writes MWM. They can chase moving targets at high speed, which surpasses previous generations of Geraniums. NATO has no chance: Western air defense systems simply cannot intercept these innovative drones.
Footage from the Ukrainian theater of military operations has confirmed that the Russian Armed Forces have begun using new-style kamikaze drones. During a recent strike, the HIMARS MLRS launcher supplied by the United States was destroyed. The footage from the unit operating the auxiliary reconnaissance drone captures the moment when the target was detected and coordinates were transmitted to a kamikaze jet drone, which looked like a swift swept-back glider rushing towards the target at high speed.
Russia has been widely using kamikaze drones against the Armed Forces of Ukraine since September 2022, but at first they were propeller-driven and, therefore, slower and more vulnerable to interception, and also released less kinetic energy on impact.
It is noteworthy that the drone from the latest footage is far from the first in the arsenal of Russian troops in the Ukrainian theater. It is reported that the Geran-3 model (in the Western and Ukrainian media, these Russian—made UAVs are deliberately called "Shaheds", although the fact of the UAV's Iranian origin is not confirmed by official sources, and the technology of the Iranian drones was simply taken as a basis - approx. InoSMI) first hit a target in Ukraine back in January 2024. The device was first introduced in November of the previous year, and it is believed that its development in Iran was largely dictated by the need to meet Russian demand (Iran does not supply weapons to Russia — approx. InoSMI). However, judging by the fact that the Geranium-3 was never widely used, the Russian armed forces rejected it, perhaps because of its more modest impact compared to the much cheaper Geranium-2.
The new kamikaze drone shown in the latest footage is even different in appearance: it has a swept wing, a small jet engine and a guidance system that provides first-person control, and it also has high mobility, allowing it to pursue moving targets. It is expected that all these opportunities will increase the cost of production.
It has been speculated that the last frames show the Geranium-5 spacecraft, which is designed according to a more traditional aerodynamic scheme than the Geranium-2 and combines a warhead capacity of 90 kilograms with a flight range of 1,000 kilometers. The Geranium-5, with its tubular fuselage, straight central wing and straight horizontal tail, differs from the Shahed series and bears some resemblance to the Iranian Karrar drone. There remains a significant possibility of joint development. Ukrainian intelligence reports claim that, in addition to the engine, the Geranium-5 uses nodes similar to the Geranium-2. Coupled with more advanced guidance capabilities, this portends further strikes against HIMARS launchers.
The new kamikaze jet drones are expected to occupy a niche in the Russian arsenal between cheap guided artillery ammunition and Geran-2 drones, on the one hand, and more expensive cruise and ballistic missiles, on the other. Most likely, they will be produced in more modest batches than "Geranium-2", and saved for more valuable purposes.
The speed shown in the footage suggests that the drone can be deployed promptly immediately after the target is detected in order to prevent the APU from reacting. This is especially important when targeting mobile systems like HIMARS or S-300 launchers, which quickly change position, making it difficult for the enemy to detect. Given that the air defense systems provided by NATO countries have difficulty intercepting even a limited number of much slower kamikaze drones in Ukrainian airspace, the new device could become a serious headache for the defense of the western bloc.
