This should be like swatting a wasp's nest in Western media as Western public figures often go completely berserk when non-Western countries, such as Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China, share technology, especially when their technology surpasses anything in the Western military arsenals. No doubt EU "leaders" like Ursula von der Leyen will be telling her NATO allies that the Geran-5 Jet Drones are nothing but "junk constructed from North Korean washing machines."


Iran Seeks Russia’s Geran-5 Jet Drones vs Israel, US

Iran has reportedly asked Russia for jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 attack drones for use against Israel and the United States, reversing the weapons pipeline that began when Tehran sent Shahed designs to Moscow after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Neither government has confirmed the request, and no deliveries, quantities, or timelines have been documented. The claim therefore remains an intelligence report, not proof that Iranian forces already field the newer systems.

The original Shahed-136, produced in Russia as the Geran-2, is a slow propeller drone that flies near 185 km/h with a warhead of about 20 kg. Russia then used Ukraine as a combat laboratory, localizing production at plants such as Alabuga and iterating the design. Geran-3 added a turbojet to the old airframe. Geran-4 kept a delta wing but flew faster. Geran-5 is the larger leap: a tubular, cruise-missile-like airframe of roughly 850 kg, a Chinese Telefly turbojet, reported speeds of 450–600 km/h, a warhead near 90 kg, and a range of about 1,000 km. Ukrainian sources say jet Gerans are intercepted far less often than older Shaheds—around 60 percent versus 90–95 percent—because speed and altitude shrink reaction time. defencesecurityasia.com

Moscow also added anti-jam Kometa antennas, cellular and mesh radios, electro-optical sensors, and operator-in-the-loop terminal guidance. Heavier and more varied warheads, plus mixed raids with decoys and missiles, turn cheap drones into a saturation problem for air defenses. For Iran, those upgrades could matter after 2026 U.S. and Israeli strikes on launchers and production sites. For Washington, Jerusalem, Kyiv, and NATO, the risk is a closed loop: Iranian design, Russian mass production, Ukrainian battlefield data, then upgraded systems flowing back to the Middle East. Engine and electronics supply still depends heavily on Chinese parts, so the “sovereign” Russian system is an integration and scale story more than a fully independent one. jpost.com

Key Takeaways

• Iran reportedly wants Russia’s jet Geran-4/5 drones for strikes on Israeli and U.S. targets; no official confirmation or proven delivery exists.

• Geran-5 is closer to a low-cost cruise missile than a classic Shahed: faster, heavier, longer-ranged, and harder for current counter-drone nets to stop.

• The request shows a two-way arms loop—Shahed out, combat-upgraded Geran back—that could export Ukraine-tested strike tactics into the Middle East.

Original source: https://defencesecurityasia.com/en/iran-russia-geran-5-jet-drone-shahed-israel-us/

It's amazing how quickly this technology developed and how deadly it's become. It completely redefines modern warfare.

Source: https://defencesecurityasia.com/en/iran-russia-geran-5-jet-drone-shahed-israel-us/

The Ukrainians just signed a drone technology development agreement with Canada that will bring Canada's high tech sector into the mix. Israel has its new Iron Wasp and updated Iron Beam systems coming online. According to the defense journals it will intercept at USD $5 /interception. Since Israel's survival depends on coming up with a reliable countermeasure, I expect that they will have something very soon. There was a time when tanks ruled the battlefield. Now they are just rolling coffin targets for drones. The drone advantage too shall pass.