The “Mother of Drones” Enters the Field / The Gerbera Drone Changes the Equations of Aerial Warfare

According to Rokna, the battlefield of aerial warfare is witnessing a tactical leap. Field reports and released images indicate that the Russian army is using larger drones as “airborne aircraft carriers” to transport small suicide drones (FPV) deep into enemy territory and launch them from the air. This technology, previously seen only in science-fiction films, has now altered military equations.

Russia’s new drone, named after the flower “Gerbera,” despite its simple appearance and body made of plywood and foam, has turned into a strategic weapon. With a wingspan of about 2.5 meters, unlike heavy drones, it is very light and inexpensive (around $2,000) and can fly up to 600 kilometers.

Until now, FPV drones (which are guided by an operator using special goggles) had a short range due to weak batteries. However, “Gerbera” now carries these small aircraft on its back and releases them near the target to utilize their exceptional precision for entering building windows or destroying tanks.

One of the major challenges in guiding drones over long distances is the disruption of radio communication. After Russia’s access to Starlink satellite internet was blocked, it turned to Mesh Radio technology. In this system, a network of drones in the sky acts as “signal relays,” passing the signal hand to hand to the operator. This means the operator can, from miles away, view the camera of a small drone that has just separated from the mother drone.

Why Is the Mother Drone Itself Not Used for Detonation?

“Dmitry Kozyakin,” chief designer at Russia’s Unmanned Solutions Center, in response to this question says: “A large drone is excellent for long distances, but it lacks the agility required to strike moving targets or enter trenches. However, an FPV quadcopter can, like a surgeon, hunt a target in a specific room or on a deserted road.”

This new combination has disrupted the balance of power. A precision-guided missile such as the “Javelin” costs about $200,000 and has a range of only 4 kilometers, but the “Gerbera and FPV” combination, at minimal cost, can destroy targets hundreds of kilometers away with the same precision.

Experts believe this is only the beginning, and that soon we will witness larger “mother drones” capable of carrying 10 or 20 small aircraft simultaneously and attacking targets like a combat squadron.