Iran Asks Russia to Provide Advanced Geran Drones

Tehran has asked Moscow to provide advanced Geran strike drones.

The Financial Times reported this, citing Western security officials and a source close to the Kremlin.

According to the media, Iran’s request concerns advanced drones from the Geran family, which Tehran is considering for use in its confrontation with Israel and the United States.

Iran was initially the source of the Shahed technology that Russia used to establish its own serial production of these strike drones.

From Shaheds to Jet-Powered Gerans

The first Russian Geran drones largely replicated the design of Iranian Shaheds and used piston engines. However, the newer Geran-4 and Geran-5 use jet propulsion systems, achieve significantly higher flight speeds, and feature improved guidance systems.

According to data cited by the FT, the Geran-5, which Russia began using against Ukraine this year, can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h, carry a warhead weighing about 90 kg, and strike targets at distances of up to 1,000 km.

By comparison, the earlier Geran-1 had a maximum speed of about 185 km/h and carried a warhead weighing up to 20 kg. At the same time, the Geran-4 retains the overall aerodynamic configuration of the early Shaheds, while the Geran-5 has a new fuselage that brings the drone closer to the class of low-cost cruise missiles in terms of its characteristics.

According to Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, the interception rate for jet-powered strike drones is about 60%, while for conventional models it can reach 90-95%.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that about 60 Ukrainian companies are working on solutions to counter Russia’s new drones.

Military analyst Konrad Muzyka of Rochan Consulting describes the development of Russian strike drones as their “cruisification” — a gradual convergence with cruise missiles in terms of speed, flight altitude, and characteristics. At the same time, such systems remain cheaper than Russia’s conventional Kh-101 or Kalibr cruise missiles.

Experts also point to Russian Geran-5 production’s dependence on foreign components, particularly microelectronics manufactured in the United States, Germany, and China.