Ukraine's military intelligence reveals details of Russia's Gerber-2 drone
Ukrainian military intelligence has published an interactive 3D model and technical details of the Russian Gerber-2 drone. The platform features a claimed range of up to 1,200 km, Chinese and American components, and a 10 kg warhead in the examined example, raising concerns about its potential use beyond Ukraine.
Key points
- The Gerber-2 has a wingspan of 3 metres and a fuselage length of 2.6 metres.
- Its 63-litre fuel tank gives it a claimed range of up to 1,200 km.
- The examined drone carried a 10 kg shrapnel-fuse incendiary warhead and separate bags of incendiary mixture.
- Russian specifications reportedly allow the Gerber-2 to carry a payload of up to 25 kg.
- The drone uses a two-cylinder two-stroke engine that the Gur of Main Intelligence Directorate assesses as roughly half the Geran-2 engine.
- Its electronics include a 12-channel Kometa navigation system, a Shenzhen Sinosun Technology mesh modem, and a video-processing unit based on the Chinese Coke Pi microcomputer.
- Eight Chinese and four American components were identified in the drone.
Why it matters
The disclosure shows how the Gerber drone family evolved from an air-defence decoy into a long-range attack and reconnaissance platform. Its claimed 1,200 km range could extend its operational area beyond Ukraine, while the Chinese and American components raise questions about the supply chains behind the programme. The technical model and component list may also help researchers and defenders assess the drone's capabilities and vulnerabilities.
What happened
Ukraine's military intelligence published an interactive 3D model and information about the Gerber-2's design, propulsion, payload, avionics and foreign-made components. The enlarged drone has a three-metre wingspan, a 2.6-metre fuselage and a 63-litre fuel tank divided into sections to maintain stability during manoeuvres. It is powered by a two-cylinder two-stroke engine linked to production for the Geran-2 in Alabuga, Russia.
The examined example carried a 10 kg ОФЗБЧ-10 shrapnel-fuse incendiary warhead and separate bags of incendiary mixture, while stated Russian specifications allow a payload of up to 25 kg. Its electronics include an updated flight controller, a 12-channel Kometa navigation system, a mesh modem made by Shenzhen Sinosun Technology and a video-processing unit called Sosyska based on a Coke Pi microcomputer. Ukrainian intelligence also identified versions equipped with forward-facing IP cameras and cameras on three-axis mounts. Russia has recently begun using the enlarged Gerber for strikes against Ukraine.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focuses on military-intelligence findings, the drone's development from a decoy into an attack platform, its long-range potential and the foreign components found in it. Particular concern centres on whether its operational range could extend the threat beyond Ukraine. The discovery of a warhead-equipped Gerber-2 on Poland's Baltic coast is also considered against the backdrop of Russian drones repeatedly entering the airspace of several European countries.
Background
Gerber drones were initially developed as decoys intended to overload Ukrainian air defences, while early versions performed reconnaissance and kamikaze-attack missions. Their equipment gradually became more sophisticated and approached that of more expensive drones such as the Granat. The Gerber-2's engine is linked to the Geran-2, whose engine production was localised in Alabuga, Russia.