Russia has deployed over 2,000 Gepard kamikaze drones with advanced electronic warfare countermeasures, aiming to outmaneuver Ukrainian defenses in the evolving battlefield of drone war.
Russian and Ukrainian forces have each employed loitering munitions to great success in the ongoing conflict. The Kremlin first deployed its Izdelie-52 Lancet in the early summer of 2022, and Russia’s military bloggers and pro-Russian propagandists have widely praised the weapon.
It will not be the only “Kamikaze Drones” that Moscow deploys to the frontlines.
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have been a significant game changer. They effectively destroy the other side’s armored vehicles, including main battle tanks (MBTs), and strike forward positions relatively easily.
Both sides have increasingly ramped up efforts to counter the drones, which has further necessitated even more advanced loitering munitions.
Russian state media claimed this week that the first batch of 2,000 Gepard kamikaze drones had been deployed to the frontlines. Each drone is outfitted with advanced electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures.
“Our drone features an altered failsafe function [UAV control upon the loss of communications] to pass through the dense areas of the operation of hostile electronic warfare systems,” a representative with the Gepard drone manufacturer told TASS.
“The drone follows an operator’s latest instructions to a point until it is out of the range of jamming systems,” the Gepard official added.
“The Gepard also features a blind takeoff capability to counter enemy electronic reconnaissance and make the crew safe at the launch site because there have been increasingly frequent cases when the adversary uncovers the launching positions of our teams and delivers strikes with cluster and precision munitions.”
Is the Gepard Flying Blind?
According to the Russian news outlet, the blind takeoff “ceases video transmission during the UAV launch” while providing sensor and instrument readings. This is meant to “prevent the possibility of its interception by the enemy.”
A report from the Russian Izvestia has noted that Ukraine’s kamikaze drones were launched against pre-designated targets, but that required aerial reconnaissance drones to obtain coordinates. This allowed the Russian defenders to employ EW to jam the drones and shoot them down.
The Gepard has been the Kremlin’s attempt to ensure the same doesn’t happen.
Though the Gepard hasn’t received as much attention as the Lancet, both kamikaze drones continue to be used by Russia’s forces.
“The record of Gepard strikes already features a major energy infrastructure facility in the Zaporozhye area, several NATO armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, and other equipment,” the Gepard representative further explained.
At the same time, Tass reported that more than 2,000 Gepard kamikaze drones have been delivered to the Russian military, while an additional 2,000 to 2,500 could be supplied by the end of 2025.
Ukraine and Russia Have Gepard Drones
Interesting, Ukraine’s military has its own Gepard, namely the German-made self-propelled anti-aircraft Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard (Flakpanzer Gepard). Berlin has supplied around sixty, with plans for an additional ten to arrive later this year.
The United States also purchased another sixty from Jordan and began sending those to Kyiv last year.
The all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) was developed in the 1960s and first fielded in the early 1970s. It is armed with twin 35mm autocannons in a traversing turret. It can fire a variety of air-exploding ordnance, including APHE (armor-piercing high explosive) and HEI (high explosive incendiary) shells. It has a rate of fire of 550 rounds per minute and a maximum effective range of 3,500 meters.
It has been one of the German-supplied military platforms that Ukraine’s military has praised considerably, even as other hardware from the NATO state has been seen as failing to live up to the hype.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/ Melnikov Dmitriy.
