By Arie Egozi, Autonomy Global – Ambassador for Israel
Ukraine has recently identified a new Russian one‑way attack (OWA) drone, designated Geran‑5, which has significantly evolved from earlier Geran‑series loitering munitions in both design and operational concept. Senior Israeli defense analysts Yair Ramati and Tal Inbar told Autonomy Global that available data indicate Geran‑5 bridges the gap between traditional strike drones and long‑range cruise missiles. This gives Russian forces a cost‑effective, mass‑producible precision strike option.
New Configuration and Launch Concepts
Unlike previous delta‑wing variants (Geran‑1/2/3/4), Geran‑5 features a new aerodynamic configuration optimized for higher speed and extended range rather than simple airframe upgrades. The system is designed from the outset for both ground launch, using a solid‑fuel rocket booster and airborne launch from Sukhoi Su‑25SM aircraft, expanding Russia’s options for rapid strike employment.
Equipping legacy Su‑25 airframes with two Geran‑5 drones per aircraft restores operational relevance to a platform otherwise considered outdated in front‑line roles. With internal fuel, the Su‑25’s low‑altitude radius is assessed at roughly 500 km to enable carriage of Geran‑5 closer to defended targets before release.
Key Performance and Guidance Features
According to Ramati and Inbar, Geran‑5 has an approximate length of 6.5 m, a wingspan of 3.2 m, a takeoff weight of about 850 kg and a 90 kg high‑explosive unitary or fragmentation warhead. The weapon reportedly cruises at 450–600 km/h with a maximum range of about 950 km, translating to roughly two hours of endurance.
The drone is believed to be powered by a Chinese commercial small jet engine, likely from the Telefly TJ200/TJ80 family, and uses six aerodynamic fins for steering. Guidance and navigation are understood to combine an altimeter, Pitot system, IMU, and GNSS, integrated with a 12‑channel Kometa satellite navigation receiver, delivering an assessed circular error probable (CEP) of under 10 m even under contested electronic warfare conditions.
Operational Rationale and Cost Advantage
Ramati and Inbar assess that Russia’s shift from propeller‑driven strike drones to jet‑powered systems like Geran‑5 is driven primarily by the need to reduce flight time and therefore shrink the detection‑to‑interception window for air defenses. Faster time‑to‑target complicates engagement planning for defending forces, particularly when force employ Geran‑5 in saturation or mixed salvos alongside other missiles.
The analysts also highlight that Geran‑5 is designed to be more cost‑effective to mass‑produce than conventional Russian cruise missiles while still delivering precision against stationary targets. This combination of range, jet speed and relatively low unit cost makes Geran‑5 an attractive tool for sustained strikes on fixed infrastructure, command nodes and logistics hubs.
Strategic Implications and Western Gap
By blending cruise‑missile‑like performance with OWA cost economics, Geran‑5 gives Russian forces a flexible means of striking deep targets without expending higher‑end cruise missile inventories. Its dual launch concept, airborne and ground, extends the effective reach of both the weapon and legacy platforms such as the Su‑25SM, while enabling more diverse and unpredictable flight paths.
According to the experts, there are currently no directly comparable, jet‑powered, long‑range OWA systems available in Western inventories. This highlights a growing asymmetry in the affordable deep‑strike segment. As the conflict in Ukraine continues to drive rapid innovation in loitering munitions and strike drones, Geran‑5 is likely to influence future Russian doctrine for distributed, high‑volume precision attacks against fixed targets.