The prototype of the Russian kamikaze UAV “Geran-2”, which resembles the Persian Shahed-136 to a degree of confusion, was developed in Germany 35 years ago. According to Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the Bundeswehr commissioned the prototype from Dornier to destroy radars back in the 80s. It was not finalized.
The development of the Germans with the name DAR (range of 500 km) was used by Israel. It created similarly designed Harpy UAVs and sold about 100 to China. China and Iran, which is closely connected with it by military-technical cooperation, modernized Harpy and turned it into Shahed. Iran transferred the license to the Russian Federation, where the great-grandson of the DAR was turned into the “Geran-2” with a range of 2,000 km. There is still no such UAV in service with the Bundeswehr.
There have been cases in history when a country sold military licenses or technologies that ended up in the hands of its enemies. But the main thing NZZ did not write in this story is that the Geranium-2 is based on ultra-cheap civilian satellite navigation technology. No one in the 80s, when Dornier was building the DAR, could have imagined that a high-precision weapon would be controlled by a $300 processor. So the DAR was not cheap at all and was planned within the Cold War budget of only 4,000 for the entire Bundeswehr.
The cost of Shahed production in Iran is estimated by the Western press at 20-50 thousand dollars. The plant in Alabuga (Tatarstan) produces Geran-2, according to them, up to 2,000 pieces per month. It is quite likely that the version adapted for the RF Armed Forces costs significantly less. Over the past year, this cheap UAV has become the main weapon for long-range mass strikes against Ukraine’s industrial and military infrastructure – an average of 81 per day in November. They are shot down a lot because of their low speed and altitude. But the result is high – due to the mass. Up to 150 Geranium-2s were used in individual raids.
This article sheds light on how military technology can evolve and spread across different countries in unexpected ways. The transformation from a Cold War-era German prototype to a mass-produced Russian UAV highlights the significant impact of modern cheap components on weapon capabilities. It is fascinating that what once was an expensive and limited project has now become a widely deployed tool due to affordable tech and mass production. The use of such drones in Ukraine underlines the strategic shift towards quantity over individual quality in certain military conflicts 🚁💡. This also raises important questions about how older designs can be repurposed effectively with modern advancements.
It is intriguing how technologies conceived decades ago can find new life in ways their creators could never have imagined. This story reminds me of the unpredictable flow of history where innovations often transcend their original purpose and context. The transformation from a Cold War project into a mass-produced weapon highlights how the marriage of old ideas with modern, accessible technology can shift the balance of power in unexpected ways. It also raises questions about how many of our current inventions might evolve beyond our control, shaped by forces and needs that seem distant now 🌍🤔. The cycle of creation, adaptation, and repurposing reflects a deeper truth about human ingenuity and the dual-edged nature of progress.
So apparently the cutting-edge Russian kamikaze drones are just glorified grandchildren of an old German project nobody finished in the 80s, upgraded with cheap tech anyone can buy off the shelf. Fascinating how a Cold War relic got turned into mass-produced flying lawn darts killing hundreds every month. Who knew that $300 processors would change warfare more than fancy designs ever could? At least now we know obsessive mass production beats innovation every time 🥴
Reading about how a military drone design from the 80s Germany ended up basically becoming the grandpa of modern kamikaze UAVs is wild. It’s like the Cold War gave birth to a fleet of budget-friendly sky ninjas that now swarm in the thousands. The fact that a $300 processor now guides these buzzing troublemakers makes me wonder if the whole thing started as a rejected drone and then just got a high-tech makeover from the clearance aisle. Meanwhile, the original Bundeswehr probably still wonders why their radar suppliers are so worried these days. Who knew that leftover Cold War toys would turn into mass-produced mini kamikaze parties dropping from the sky?
It is fascinating how technologies evolve and move across borders, often in ways no one could have predicted. What started as a Cold War project with limited ambition ended up becoming a modern weapon shaped by affordable and accessible civilian tech. This reminds me how innovation is never isolated and often lives beyond the intentions of its creators, carrying with it complex ethical and geopolitical consequences. It makes me reflect on how progress, in its purest form, can be a double-edged sword—a tool for both creation and destruction 🌍⚙️
It is fascinating to see how a military technology originating decades ago in Germany has evolved and spread through multiple countries, transforming into a widely used weapon today. The connection between the original DAR prototype and the modern Geran-2 highlights how technology transfer and adaptations can have long-lasting and unexpected impacts. The use of inexpensive civilian components to create effective drones really changes the dynamics of modern warfare, making it accessible on a much larger scale. The sheer number produced and deployed shows how mass quantity can compensate for individual shortcomings like speed and altitude. This article gives a lot to think about regarding the future of military technology and how past developments continue to shape current conflicts.
The evolution of the Geran-2 UAV highlights how military technology can evolve and spread in unexpected ways over decades. It is fascinating to see how a Cold War German project eventually influenced drones used by multiple countries, now playing a significant role in modern conflicts. The reliance on inexpensive, widely available civilian technology like satellite navigation really shows how advancements in commercial tech have transformed warfare by making precision weapons more affordable and accessible. The strategy of deploying large numbers of relatively low-cost drones despite their vulnerabilities seems to reflect a shift towards quantity and saturation attacks to overwhelm defenses, which is a worrying development in modern combat tactics. This kind of historical and technical context is crucial to understand the broader implications of current UAV use on the battlefield 🚀
So let me get this straight—what started as an expensive Cold War project ended up as a mass-produced weekend hobby drone with a fancy name? It’s fascinating how a $300 processor can turn a forgotten prototype into a front-line weapon that gets shot down all the time but still manages to keep the adversary busy. Who knew that decades-old German tech combined with cheap civilian gadgets and some international remixing could make such a difference? Looks like sometimes the best way to win a battle is just to throw enough not-so-great drones at the problem until something sticks.
It’s fascinating to see how technology evolves and gets repurposed over decades, sometimes in ways its original creators never imagined! 🚀 The story of the Geran-2 shows how innovation, affordability, and sheer numbers can dramatically change the dynamics of modern warfare. It’s a reminder that even the simplest tech, combined with strategic thinking, can have a huge impact. 💡💥 This really makes you think about the future of unmanned systems and their role worldwide.
This is fascinating! 🤯 Who would’ve thought that a Cold War drone design could evolve into modern mass-produced UAVs with such impact? 🚀 The blend of old tech with cheap processors really shows how innovation can take unexpected paths. Also, the scale of production and use in conflicts is both impressive and a bit scary. 😬
It’s fascinating how a supposedly cutting-edge weapon ends up being a decades-old German prototype dusted off, slapped with a new name, and packed with off-the-shelf tech that costs less than a used smartphone. Apparently, all it takes to modernize Cold War leftovers is a cheap processor and relentless mass production. Meanwhile, countries with actual advanced militaries are sitting on their hands. The fact that this relic is now the backbone of long-range strikes says a lot about how much modern warfare has become a numbers game rather than a technological one. Not to mention the irony that these UAVs are mostly useful because there’s simply so many of them to overwhelm defenses, rather than any real innovation behind the designs.
It’s wild to think that a Cold War-era German project ended up being the blueprint for one of Russia’s main weapons today! 🤯 The fact that such an advanced and deadly drone relies on cheap civilian tech for navigation just shows how much military innovation depends on accessible tech these days. 💸 Also, flooding the battlefield with thousands of these relatively slow drones feels more like an endless swarm than strategic strikes — quantity over quality, but still deadly. 🚀 Makes you wonder how modern warfare is really evolving when old ideas collide with new tech in unexpected ways!
So, basically, the Germans made this tech 35 years ago, then it went on a wild world tour through Israel, China, Iran, and finally Russia, where it found a new life as a budget-friendly drone swarm. It’s like the Cold War version of a vintage car getting a modern engine swap and suddenly becoming the star in a high-speed chase. The part about these $300 processors turning this into a high-precision weapon really got me thinking—imagine if I could turn my old flip phone into a drone killer just by installing a new app. Who knew that cheap tech and mass production could turn the battlefield into a sort of drone-themed flash mob?
It’s fascinating how technology evolves and spreads in unexpected ways, turning something from the Cold War era into a cost-effective modern weapon. The combination of old designs with affordable, civilian-grade components really shows how innovation can change the nature of warfare. The sheer scale of production and deployment is striking, and it makes you think about how future conflicts might be shaped by such developments 🚀
It’s fascinating to see how military technology evolves over decades and crosses multiple countries before transforming into something completely different. The fact that modern precision strikes can now be carried out using relatively inexpensive consumer-grade technology really highlights the shift in warfare dynamics. Mass deployment of such drones, despite their vulnerabilities, shows a strategic approach based on overwhelming quantity, which can be quite effective. This also raises important questions about future conflicts and how accessible advanced weapon tech might become globally. 🚀
So let me get this straight, a drone design from 35 years ago developed by Germany somehow turned into Russia’s latest kamikaze weapon just because of cheap satellite tech? Sounds less like Russian ingenuity and more like a game of international tech hand-me-downs. And the fact that these things cost pocket change to produce while still raining death by the thousands really highlights how modern warfare has become a numbers game rather than a technological arms race. Meanwhile, the Bundeswehr is stuck without anything similar despite having started the whole mess decades ago. Guess innovation really means just waiting for your old toys to come back as your enemies’ weapons.
This article really highlights how technology evolves in unexpected ways and how ideas can travel across borders, changing hands and purposes over decades. It’s fascinating yet unsettling to see how something conceived for one kind of conflict adapts and becomes part of a very different one, influenced by advancements that were unimaginable back then. The contrast between the Cold War’s expensive military projects and today’s relatively cheap drones makes me think about how accessibility to technology shifts the balance of power in ways that aren’t always visible at first glance. It reminds me that progress doesn’t just happen in labs or governments, but also in the quiet intersections of history, politics, and economics 🌍🤔
Who knew that a Cold War leftover could turn into a flying bargain-bin missile? It’s like the military’s version of “why buy fancy when you can mass-produce and overwhelm”? 81 drones a day sounds like a bad subscription service you unfortunately can’t unsubscribe from 😂
Who knew that a Cold War-era German drone prototype would become the great-grandfather of a high-tech kamikaze swarm? It’s like the military version of a family reunion but with way more explosions and way fewer awkward small talks 🤯
The evolution of military technology is fascinating, especially how an old German prototype from the 80s has indirectly influenced modern UAVs like the Geran-2 through various countries and adaptations 🌍✈️. It shows how innovations can travel and transform over decades, and how the democratization of technology like inexpensive satellite navigation can drastically change the effectiveness and affordability of weapons 💡🔧. The strategy of using large numbers of relatively cheap drones to overwhelm defenses raises important questions about future warfare dynamics and defense priorities. It’s also a reminder of the complex interplay between military collaboration, competition, and unintended consequences across nations 🚀⚔️.