Russia using new drone with LTE connection: Ukraine intelligence reports
Russia may use the new UAV for both reconnaissance and strike missions.
Drone attack
The Russian army is using a new drone that poses an even greater threat. It is equipped with LTE communication and remote-control capability.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence reports this.
A 3D model of the new Russian army UAV
Details about the new Russian drone
According to the report, the new drone can be used either as a reconnaissance or strike UAV. In addition, it can serve as a decoy to overload Ukrainian air defences.
Key features:
- equipped with a camera and two LTE modems to transmit video in real time or recorded via mobile base stations, and to receive commands for course correction;
- in its strike version, the camera (with an adjustable viewing angle) and remote control can be used by an operator to guide it to the target on an FPV principle;
- has a delta-wing type fuselage, similar to the Shahed-131 (Geranium-1) but slightly smaller;
- navigation relies on a jamming-resistant satellite positioning system with four patch antennas and Chinese Allystar modules.
“Almost half of the drone’s components are manufactured in China (communication modules, mini-computer, power regulator, quartz generator),” the intelligence reports.
It added that the DLE engine is mounted in the nose of the fuselage, making the drone most similar to the “Italmas” loitering munition produced by Russia’s Zala group.