A Russian "Shahed" drone was found to contain a component with radar-homing capabilities for the first time, but its purpose raises questions

Photos of fragments of a Russian "Shahed"-type drone have appeared online, allegedly showing the installation of a passive radar homing head. This is the first such case, but the information has not yet been officially confirmed and is based on an analysis of the published images. This was reported by Defense Express, writes UNN.

Details

Photos and a description of the corresponding unit appeared at the Reibert auction and were noticed by specialized resources. The photos show an element with passive antennas marked 125AE02 TsIVR.464651.015.

This marking corresponds to the antenna device of the "friend-or-foe" radar identification system of the "Parol" type, which has been used since Soviet times and remains in service with the Russian Federation. At the same time, there are no known examples of full-fledged passive homing heads with such components.

According to estimates, this unit does not have guidance mechanisms – in particular, a suspension that allows the antenna to be directed at the radiation source. This casts doubt on the possibility of its use as a full-fledged homing system.

What this could mean

It is likely not a standard homing head, but an attempt to adapt existing components for new tasks. There is currently no confirmation whether this "Shahed" was equipped with a warhead.

If there was no warhead, the drone could have been used to detect the positions of Ukrainian air defense by recording radar operation. In this case, it could transmit coordinates to the operator via a communication channel.

If a warhead was installed, this could indicate an attempt to create a strike drone capable of homing in on sources of radio emission, in particular radar stations.

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