Two Cameras and a Pylon: DIU Published Details of a Shahed with a R-60 Air-to-Air Missile

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has released new information about the modification of the Russian “Geran-2” series “E” UAV.

In the “Components in Weapons” section of the War&Sanctions website, the structure, list of components and cooperation enterprises involved in the production of this version of the drone are published.

According to the DIU, Russia has adapted the Soviet R-60 air-to-air missile for installation on a drone. Its main purpose is to hit Ukrainian helicopters and airplanes that intercept Russian drones.

The missile with the APU-60-1MD launcher is mounted on a special mount in the upper front part of the Geran fuselage. This allows the drone not only to perform strike missions but also to pose a threat to aviation.

The drone is equipped with two cameras – in the nose and behind the launcher. Video and control commands are transmitted via the Chinese mesh modem Xingkay Tech XK-F358.

The flight controller, navigation and inertial units remain typical of other drone models.

For satellite navigation, a 12-channel jammer-proof Kometa module is used, which allows it to operate even in the face of active Ukrainian electronic warfare.

The electronic filling includes a British-made Raspberry Pi 4 single-board computer, a tracker and two GSM modems for telemetry transmission. This ensures a stable communication channel and control over the drone.

The countries of origin of electronic components remain standard for Russian UAVs of this type: The United States, China, Switzerland, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The likely principle of the missile’s use is to transmit images from the cameras to the operator via a mesh modem. If a Ukrainian airplane or helicopter appears, the operator gives the command to launch.

After launching, the thermal homing head of the R-60 missile independently captures the target. There is also a variant with preliminary target acquisition by the warhead and confirmation by the operator before launch.

The main purpose of the new modification is to create an additional threat to the Ukrainian army and tactical aviation.