Russia Geran-3 Long-Range Kamikaze Drones: Russia has reportedly offered India a very powerful new attack drone called the Geran-3. This offer comes soon after Moscow talked about giving India the upgraded Lancet-E loitering munition. The Geran-3 is much more advanced and far stronger than older drones. Russian sources say this drone is already in full production and can hit targets very far away. It uses a turbojet engine instead of a propeller, which makes it faster and more dangerous.
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The Geran-3 marks a big change from earlier designs. It uses a small turbojet engine that produces about 120 to 125 kgf of thrust. Because of this engine, the drone can fly at speeds close to 600 km/h and stay in the air for almost two hours. Official details shared with Indian officials say the drone can travel about 1,200 km. Some defence experts believe that in real combat conditions, the drone could reach targets as far as 2,000 to 2,500 km away.
Russia Geran-3 Long-Range Kamikaze Drones Features
One of the biggest upgrades in the Geran-3 is its warhead. The drone can carry a 300 kg explosive payload. This is about six times heavier than the payload on the older Geran-2, also known as the Shahed-136. Because of this heavy warhead, the Geran-3 can destroy strong and protected targets like bunkers, radar sites, and military bases. The total take-off weight of the drone is around 1,000 kg, which makes it much larger than earlier models, reported Defence.in.
Even with its larger size, Russian engineers claim they reduced how easy it is to spot on radar. They say the drone uses special shaping and radar-absorbing materials. Because of this, the radar cross-section is said to be less than 0.05 m². The drone also uses modern guidance systems. It has electro-optical sensors that work in mid and long-wave infrared bands. This allows the drone to hunt radar signals on its own and act like a fast kamikaze drone that can break through strong air defence systems.
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Big Questions for India
Russian officials say stopping the Geran-3 would be very costly for an enemy. Air defence forces may need to fire expensive missiles like Barak-8 or Akash to shoot it down. Cheaper systems and shoulder-fired missiles may struggle to lock onto the drone because it comes in fast and head-on. Still, the drone is not perfect. The turbojet engine creates a strong heat trail from the back. This makes the drone easier to target with heat-seeking missiles or fighter jets after it passes the target.
Because the turbojet engine costs more than simple piston engines, the Geran-3 is not suited for large swarm attacks. Instead of sending many cheap drones, operators would likely use a few Geran-3 drones to hit very important targets. These could include command centres, S-400 radar systems, airfields, or naval ships at port.
Many experts also note similarities between the Geran-3 and Iran’s Shahed-238. Russia says the Geran-3 is different and uses its own design, avionics, and engine. Moscow has also told India it is open to full technology transfer and future joint development.
India has not rushed to accept the offer. The country is strongly focused on “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and building its own weapons. DRDO and Indian companies like Adani Defence, Solar Industries, and Alpha Design are already working on the Indian Long Range Loitering Munition programme. Indian teams have tested a 150 kg class loitering munition with a range of 900 km.
