The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has published a new report in the "Weapons Components" section of the War & Sanctions portal, detailing the parts of a new russian drone currently used both for reconnaissance and as a decoy to expose and overload Ukrainian air defense systems.
According to available data, the UAV can also have a warhead weighing up to 15 kg.
The drone features a delta-wing fuselage similar in design to the Shahed-136 ("Geran-2"), but it is significantly smaller. All components used in the construction are of Chinese origin.
Nearly half of the onboard systems—including the flight controller with autopilot, navigation modules, antennas, airspeed sensor, and pitot tube—are produced by the Chinese company CUAV Technology. This company specializes in developing and manufacturing UAV system modules and applications. Although CUAV announced export restrictions to Ukraine and russia in October 2022, in 2023, russia unveiled a supposed "domestically developed" vertical takeoff UAV that turned out to be a CUAV product widely available on AliExpress.
The drone is also equipped with a Chinese-made copy of the Australian RFD900X data module by RFDesign. Depending on the antenna used, it can transmit data up to 40 km in line-of-sight conditions.
This system enables data transmission from the UAV to a ground control station or between UAVs, significantly extending the drone's reconnaissance capabilities.
Previously, DLE engines were found in russian "Gerbera" and "Parody" drones, while KST servos have been used in Shahed-136 drones, V2U platforms, guidance and correction modules, and aerial bombs.