Swarm mode and live control: how the invaders are upgrading the Shahed-136

Russian forces may soon begin using upgraded Shaheds, which are capable of real-time control. Instead of a pre-set flight path, there is manual control and coordination between multiple aircraft in the air.

This was warned by Ukrainian specialist in communication systems, electronic warfare, and radio-electronic intelligence Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov.

According to his analysis, new technical details have appeared in the design of the latest versions of decoy drones, which are actively used by the Russian army. In particular, these UAVs have a powerful radio modem installed on board – an element that has not previously been recorded on conventional Shahed-136s.

Beskrestnov points out that using RFD900x modems in conjunction with the Pixhawk autopilot opens up fundamentally new possibilities. This includes not only remotely controlling a single drone, but also creating a “swarm” of drones that can interact with each other – transmit data, work as signal repeaters, and change routes in flight.

“In fact, this may make it possible to attack moving objects, see the work of Ukrainian air defense online, conduct reconnaissance, and operate even in areas where Ukrainian electronic warfare equipment jams GPS,” the expert notes.

At the same time, according to him, Russian drones are currently not using the Ukrainian mobile network for control – this channel is too vulnerable, and the occupiers seem to understand this.

The analyst suggests that the development of swarm technologies and radio control in kamikaze drones is one of the areas in which Russia is trying to circumvent Ukrainian electronic suppression and make the “Shaheeds” more dangerous and adaptable to the conditions of modern warfare.

Recall that in June, Ukraine first recorded the use of a Russian kamikaze attack drone of the “Shahed” type with a built-in camera, an artificial intelligence module with machine vision, and a direct radio control system from Russian territory.

As reported, a large-scale project “Clean Sky” is being implemented in Kyiv, aimed at protecting the city’s airspace from Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles using Ukrainian interceptor drones.

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