The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reports that russia is setting up the production of the Geran-3 kamikaze drone, a russian copy of the iranian Shahed-238 equipped with a small-sized turbojet double-circuit engine Tolou-10/13.
This engine provides Geran-3 with a maximum flight speed of 550–600 km/h (~370 mph) and a range of 2,500 kilometers (1,550 mi). The new capability in the russian forces poses a significant threat to the Ukrainian military and civilian population but it can be countered with air defense weapons like the newest Grawehawk received by Ukraine from the United Kingdom — more on this shortly.
Read more: Jet-Driven Shahed-238 Disassembled: Engine From Czechia, Satellite Navigation Tools From Canada (Photo)
For starters, we need to emphasize that Geran-3 being detailed exactly as a "Shahed-238 copy" is important here because in late 2023, the russian forces had already attempted using the original iranian Shahed-238 for strikes on the territory of Ukraine. The first public appearance of Shahed-238 in iran dates to the fall of 2023.
Defense Express previously covered the Shahed-238 jet UAV in detail by analyzing the photos with answers to the main questions about this drone. In particular, the pictures revealed during its development the iranians went for the easiest solution and equipped it with components accessible on the civilian market. Disassembly of a Shahed-238 downed in Ukraine further showed that the drone's engine, the PBS TJ150, is made in the Czech Republic, and the navigation unit is from Canada.
That said, the component base of the russian Geran-3, and potential design distinctions or their absence are yet to be confirmed.
According to Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, the russian analog uses Tolou-10/13 jet engines (Tolou-10 is an iranian copy of the Czech PBS TJ100). Since this time it's a product manufactured in iran, the production of Geran-3 russia might be held back depending on the stability of jet engine supplies from its partner.
The type of warhead implanted in Geran-3 remains not disclosed, making a verified assessment of the drone's destructive power impossible. However, the effectiveness of this long-range weapon will depend not only on its individual specifications but also on the volumes of its production that the russian military industry will be able to exert.
The intelligence agency reports that the flight speed of Geran-3 is up to 550–600 km/h, meaning that Ukrainian mobile fire groups of air defense with guns and small arms will have an extremely hard time fighting these jet UAVs, the same is true for helicopters often dispatched to intercept much slower Shahed-136/131 propeller-driven drones.
Still, what really can help is man-portable surface-to-air missiles, classic air defense missile systems, Gepard guns hailed as "anti-aircraft tanks," or the aforementioned British Gravehawk, a specially designed system to launch Soviet R-73 air-to-air missiles from the ground.
Read more: russia Wants to Sell Jet-Powered Shahed Drones Abroad $1.4 Million Per Unit
