The Russia’s Geran-2 has become a critical asset in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Originating from the Iranian Shahed-136 design, the Geran-2 has undergone significant technical evolution and industrial scaling, transforming it into a mass-produced, versatile weapon system that challenges conventional air defense paradigms.
This article examines the Geran-2’s development, production, operational use, and strategic implications, placing it in the broader context of geopolitical dynamics and comparing it with other loitering munitions worldwide.
Production and Industrial Scaling: From Iran to Russia’s Domestic Manufacturing
Following a formal agreement in late 2022 between Russia and Iran, the Shahed-136 was licensed for domestic production in Russia under the name Geran-2. The main manufacturing hub is located in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, Russia, targeting an ambitious output of up to 6,000 units by mid-2025. This local production has progressively replaced imported components with Russian-made engines, avionics, and materials, ensuring supply chain resilience amid international sanctions and geopolitical pressures.
The industrial expansion includes the introduction of new factories and modernization of assembly lines, enabling daily production rates estimated in the hundreds. This scale of manufacturing supports the Russian military’s tactical doctrine of overwhelming enemy air defenses through massed drone swarms.
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Technical Evolution: Enhanced Capabilities and Electronic Warfare Resistance
While the Geran-2 retains the core aerodynamic layout of the Shahed-136—featuring a delta wing, composite honeycomb structure, and a rear-mounted piston engine—it incorporates substantial upgrades:
Warhead: The payload has increased from the original 50 kg to variants carrying up to 90 kg of combined high-explosive, thermobaric, and tungsten ball shrapnel warheads, enhancing lethality against fortified and infrastructure targets.
Propulsion and Performance: Powered by a 50–90 HP piston engine, the drone can reach speeds up to 180 km/h with a flight endurance of up to 12 hours and a range exceeding 1,000 km, sufficient to strike deep into Ukrainian territory.
Avionics and Navigation: The Geran-2 features advanced navigation systems resistant to jamming and spoofing, including multi-antenna Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPA), 3G/LTE modems for real-time data links, and improved inertial navigation units. These enhancements enable more reliable target acquisition and in-flight corrections.
Stealth and Survivability: New coatings and materials reduce radar and visual signatures, especially for night operations, complicating detection and interception.
Emerging Variants: The Geran-3 variant reportedly features a turbojet engine, increasing speed to approximately 600 km/h and extending range up to 2,500 km, marking a shift toward higher-performance loitering munitions.
Operational Use and Tactical Integration
The Geran-2 has been extensively deployed in Ukraine, targeting a wide array of military and critical infrastructure, including power grids, airfields, ammunition depots, and command centers. Its operational doctrine emphasizes massed swarm attacks, where waves of hundreds of drones saturate air defenses, depleting missile stocks and overwhelming radar and interceptor systems.
This tactic exploits the drone’s relatively low cost—estimated between $30,000 and $80,000 per unit depending on configuration—compared to the high expense of surface-to-air missiles and interceptor systems. The drones’ ability to autonomously navigate to pre-programmed coordinates, combined with real-time data links and machine vision in advanced variants, enables flexible and adaptive strike profiles.
Geopolitical Context: Iran-Russia Collaboration and Global Implications
The Geran-2 program exemplifies the strategic partnership between Iran and Russia, combining Iranian design expertise with Russian industrial capacity. This collaboration has allowed Russia to circumvent Western sanctions and maintain a steady supply of loitering munitions critical for its operations in Ukraine.
The conflict has accelerated the proliferation and evolution of such drones, raising concerns among NATO and allied nations about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to swarm attacks and the need for enhanced counter-drone measures.
Comparative Analysis: Geran-2 Among Global Loitering Munitions
When compared to other loitering munitions, the Geran-2 occupies a unique position:
| Feature | Geran-2 (Russia/Iran) | Switchblade 300 (USA) | Harop (Israel) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length / Wingspan | 3.5 m / 2.5 m | 0.9 m / 1.3 m | 2.5 m / 3.1 m |
| Warhead Weight | 50–90 kg | 2.7 kg | ~23 kg |
| Range | 1,000–2,000+ km | ~10 km | 1,000+ km |
| Speed | ~180 km/h (Geran-2), up to 600 km/h (Geran-3) | ~100 km/h | ~185 km/h |
| Guidance | GNSS + inertial + anti-jamming | GPS + real-time video feed | Autonomous + operator control |
| Cost (approximate) | $30,000–$80,000 | $6,000–$9,000 | $100,000+ |
The Geran-2’s longer range and heavier payload make it more akin to a low-cost cruise missile than a typical tactical loitering munition like the Switchblade. Its mass production and swarm tactics contrast with the more precise, smaller-scale use of Western systems.
Geran UAVs perform anti-missile maneuvers and use cellular networks for intelligence transmission
Conclusion: Strategic Impact and Future Prospects
The Geran-2 represents a significant evolution in loitering munition technology, combining affordability, range, and enhanced electronic warfare resistance. Its mass production and operational use have altered the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine and underscored the growing role of swarm drones in modern conflicts.
For international defense communities, the Geran-2 exemplifies the challenges posed by low-cost, high-volume drone warfare, necessitating new approaches to air defense, electronic warfare, and infrastructure protection.
By Artem Kirillov
for Aviation of Russia Website.
References
- Army Recognition. “Exclusive Focus: Geran-2 Kamikaze Drone Russian Version of Iranian Shahed-136 Deployed in Ukraine.” Jan. 2025.
- OSMP NGO. “Shahed-131 & -136 UAVs: a visual guide.” Feb. 2025.
- FW-Mag.com. “New Capabilities for Russian GERAN-2 Drones.” Feb. 2025.
- Meta-Defense.fr. “GERAN-2, From low-cost missile to lurking ammunition.” July 2024.
- Meta-Defense.fr. “GERAN-2 Drone Russian Low-Cost Cerbair.” July 2024.
- ISIS Online. “Alabuga’s Shahed 136 (Geran 2) Warheads: A Dangerous Escalation.“
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