An AI-Radio Control Russian Shahed War drone
For the first time, a Russian Shahed War drone equipped with a camera, an AI module, and a radio control system that enables operation from Russia was found in Ukraine.
According to Mezha Media, a technology and IT news outlet owned by Ukrainska Pravda, Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov is an expert in military radio technology.
According to Beskrestnov, the creation of such a Shahed was known for a while, but this is the first instance of its use being verified.
“The radio modem allows the Shahed to be controlled at a distance of up to 150 kilometres from the Russian border or the front line, or over greater distances if airborne repeaters are used in our airspace,” the expert said.
According to earlier reports, the drone’s design has undergone a number of significant changes in the last 12 months. One such modification entails a major warhead improvement. The explosive payload of the UAV has also grown from 50 to 90 kg. These days, some drones include Starlink terminals as well.
Foreign media have also asserted the possibility of Shahed drones connecting to the Ukrainian mobile network. Beskrestnov, however, has denied this assertion.
Context: Russia is increasing its Shaheds production capacity at a plant in Tatarstan’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, according to a recent report by the open-source intelligence channel Dnipro OSINT. A satellite image of fresh construction covering an area of roughly 1.39 square kilometres was released by the Telegram channel.
