Cost, assembly and characteristics of Gerbera drones

Cost, assembly and explosive load

The cost? As "Il Messaggero" reports, a specimen can cost around 10 thousand dollars, also considering the materials used to build it, including plywood and plastic foam. The electronic components, however, are Chinese based, the assembly is carried out in the Alabuga area, Russian region of Tatarstan, a sort of hub in which Moscow builds war drones. The Gerbera can be transported by a merchant ship and can be operated much more easily than other similar drones, such as the Shahed or the Geran. Another feature: from a distance of 200 or 300 km from the coast, the flight would last a maximum of two hours, depending on the actual speed. It can carry an explosive load of approximately 5 kg, capable of causing a fire or even temporarily closing a port or airport.

Different models

There are different models of the Gerbera, in particular three different versions are produced. In addition to the reconnaissance one, used to collect images and information on the terrain in real time, there is the kamikaze type, characterized by a small explosive charge to hit targets, while the most dangerous version is the one designed to appear on radar as if they were Shahed-136s, deceiving enemy air defense systems.

Gerberas in Europe

Drones like this were already spotted in Ukraine a couple of years ago, but then the threat also closely affected Central and Balkan Europe. Last September, airspace violations were recorded in Poland but the drones involved were shot down. Only last month, Romania neutralized two Gerberas over the Black Sea. Finally, a few days ago, an Italian Eurofighter intercepted and shot down a similar drone in Lithuania.