Ukraine’s intelligence agency details upgraded Gerbera drone with 1,200 km range

Russia’s upgraded Gerbera-2 drone can fly up to 1,200 km and, according to Russian specifications cited by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, carry a warhead weighing as much as 25 kg. The Ukrainian agency, known as DIU, released details of the aircraft alongside an interactive 3D model on its War&Sanctions portal, which also documents its components and electronics.

DIU said the Gerbera was originally developed as a cheap, simple decoy intended to overwhelm air defence systems. Early models included reconnaissance and kamikaze variants. Their equipment later became more similar to that used in the more expensive Geran family of drones, with additions including Kometa navigation systems, mesh modems and expensive cameras mounted on gimbals.

The upgraded aircraft measures 2.6 metres in fuselage length and has a wingspan of 3 metres, according to the agency. Its new fuel tank holds 63 litres, allowing it to reach the reported maximum range. Internal partitions divide the tank into sections to help keep the drone stable while it manoeuvres.

The Gerbera-2 uses a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine that DIU described as essentially half of the engine fitted to the Geran-2. Production of the Geran-2 engine has been localised in Alabuga, the agency said.

The aircraft examined by Ukrainian intelligence carried a 10 kg OFZBCh-10 high-explosive fragmentation incendiary warhead, together with separate bags of an incendiary mixture. That observed configuration differs from the maximum warhead weight of 25 kg listed in the Russian specifications cited by DIU.

Its electronics include an updated flight controller and a 12-channel Kometa system. DIU also identified a mesh modem made by China’s Shenzhen Sinosun Technology Co., Ltd, along with a new Sosiska video processing unit built around a Chinese Coke Pi microcomputer.

A dual IP camera positioned on the fuselage above the fuel tank was fitted to the examined drone to detect interceptors, the agency said. Other identified versions have forward-facing IP cameras or cameras mounted on three-axis gimbals. DIU counted eight Chinese-made components and four US-made components, more than from any other countries.

The agency said the larger fuel tank and extended range indicated that the drone’s potential area of use could reach beyond Ukraine. It pointed to the discovery of a Gerbera-2 carrying a warhead on Poland’s Baltic coast in mid-September.

In May, P1-SUN interceptor drones produced by Ukrainian company SkyFall recorded the first footage of Russian Gerberas being destroyed while serving as carriers for FPV drones.