Drone «hunts» targets on its own: What we know about Russia’s new Shahed variant
Russian forces are increasingly using the term «Geranium Seeker» to refer to a new modification of the Shahed-type attack drones.
A Russian "Geranium" drone (illustrative photo) / © Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Russia is upgrading its Shahed-type strike drones and is increasingly deploying a modification called the «Geranium Seeker.»
This was reported by Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukraine’s defense minister and a military technology expert known by the callsign «Flash».
According to him, the «Seeker» is a Shahed variant designed to search for and destroy high-priority targets. This capability can be integrated into various versions of the Russian «Geranium» drones, ranging from version 2 to version 4.
Beskrestnov noted that the jet-powered «Geranium-4 Seeker» has been frequently detected recently.
A camera mounted on a Russian drone. / © Serhii Beskrestnov «Flash»
These drones are equipped with multiple cameras operating in various modes. The «Seeker» also features a MESH radio modem, allowing an operator to control the UAV.
The defining feature of this modification is its automated target recognition, tracking, and homing system. According to Beskrestnov, the system is powered by a Raspberry Pi single-board computer.
The specialist explained that once a target is locked, the drone can execute the strike completely without operator intervention.
For instance, if a «Seeker» operator locks onto a locomotive from a distance of about one kilometer, low-power electronic warfare (EW) systems on the locomotive itself will no longer provide effective protection. In this scenario, computer vision algorithms can independently guide the drone to its target.