The Latest Threat To Ukrainian Air Defenses: The Russian Gerbera Drone

Throughout its war with Ukraine, Russia has tried to break Ukraine’s resolve through large-scale missile and drone strikes against key military targets and critical infrastructure. While Ukraine’s extensive air defense network has been effective in countering these strikes, the emergence of the low-cost Gerbera drone poses a new challenge. The Gerbera’s affordability and simplicity make it an effective decoy in airstrikes. Further, when neutralized by Ukrainian air defense systems, it not only depletes Ukraine of key military resources but also provides Russia with intelligence on those systems.

This past summer, the Russian military began fielding the Gerbera, which is similar in shape but slightly smaller than the Iranian Shahed-136. Ukrainian forces recently recovered a Gerbera, gaining a clearer understanding of its role in Russian operations. The drone’s body is constructed from polystyrene and plywood, unlike the aluminum or composite materials typically used in most military drones. It features commercially available electronics and components commonly found in other Russian military systems. Although it has a smaller payload than the Shahed-136, the Gerbera is considerably less expensive, with some estimating that it is a tenth the cost.

Since mid-July, Russia has incorporated the Gerbera drone into its strategic strike packages, deploying it alongside Shahed drones. While the exact number of Gerbera drones used remains unclear, their introduction has significantly increased the volume of drones launched by Russia. Ukraine met this surge with its robust network of kinetic and non-kinetic air defense systems. Kinetic systems destroy drones by firing projectiles, such as bullets or missiles. Ukraine’s kinetic defenses include a range of systems, from the German provided Gepards to the U.S.-provided Patriots. These are complemented by non-kinetic systems, which use electronic warfare to jam the drones’ navigation and control signals, causing them to crash or veer off course.

The true value of the Gerbera lies in its role as a decoy, particularly in overwhelming kinetic air defense systems that can engage a limited number of targets at a given time. By increasing the number of potential targets through the inclusion of the Gerbera, these systems are forced to prioritize which threats to eliminate. As a result, the system may engage the Gerbera instead of a more destructive Shahed-136, which radar cannot distinguish between.

Early reports on the Gerbera’s usage indicate that the Russians sent a number of these drones in an initial wave to lure the Ukrainian air defenses away from a second wave of Shahed-136 drones. Although this attack was not successful, the Russians adapted their tactics. On November 17, the Institute for the Study of War cited the Gerbera’s role as a decoy for a reduced efficiency of Ukraine’s air defense systems during a drone strike.

The Gerbera further strains Ukraine’s already limited air defense resources. Its low cost and simplicity enable Russia to produce these drones in large quantities. For each drone deployed, Ukraine must expend ammunition from its air defense systems to neutralize it. Moreover, when these systems engage the drone, they reveal their position, making them vulnerable to Russian strikes. Many of these systems, along with their ammunition, have been supplied through foreign military aid. With the future of such aid uncertain, Ukraine risks depleting its air defense assets.

In addition to the kinetic systems, the Ukrainian air defense network has incorporated a number of non-kinetic electronic warfare systems. Electronic warfare generally operates in a constant cat-and-mouse scenario, where technology must stay one step ahead of the systems it is attempting to jam. As the Russians field each Gerbera, they are likely tailoring the control and navigation systems such that they can probe the Ukrainian defenses. When the Ukrainian electronic warfare systems are able to neutralize a Gerbera, the Russians can gather key information about the capabilities of the Ukrainian electronic warfare equipment. They can then modify the Gerbera drones used on the next attack to continue probing the defenses. Once they find a vulnerability, they can modify their more lethal drones to avoid being jammed.

The Gerbera drone’s benefits extend beyond strategic airstrikes, offering advantages to Russian ground forces as well. Ukrainian air defense systems have effectively prevented Russia from using close air support in ground operations. By depleting Ukrainian air defense resources, Russia could potentially reintroduce air units into these operations, providing a significant battlefield advantage. Additionally, Ukrainian electronic warfare technology, widely integrated into their operations, is commonly used to jam Russian communications. By probing this technology, the Russian military may uncover ways to maintain communication despite active jamming.

The story of the Gerbera drone draws parallels to World War II, when the Soviet Union deployed low-cost, plywood-based aircraft alongside more advanced fighters to combat the German Luftwaffe. These mass-produced aircraft, though technologically inferior to their German counterparts, succeeded through sheer numbers, overwhelming the Luftwaffe. Similarly, the Gerbera drone demonstrates the principle of attrition through simplicity and volume. Despite its technological limitations, this new Russian drone achieves its objectives by exhausting Ukraine’s air defense resources and collecting valuable intelligence, mirroring the effectiveness of the Soviet aircraft during the war.