Gerbera Seeker: How a Decoy Became a Reconnaissance and Strike Drone
The Gerbera UAV in flight. Photo courtesy of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Russian Drum Park drones The Gerbera-Seeker UAV has been expanded. This UAV is based on an existing aerial platform, but, unlike it, carries a fully functional guidance system and warhead. According to available data, it is already being used to engage targets far from the front line.
Let's be clear: a significant portion of the information about "Gerber Seeker" comes from social media, objective surveillance footage, reports from parties to the conflict, and OSINT analyses. Therefore, a number of technical details and dates below should be considered estimates rather than confirmed official data.
Combat application
The Gerbera UAV itself has been known for some time. The "Seeker" modification of the Gerbera, capable of reconnaissance and target engagement, has been actively featured in open sources since June 2026.
In the first half of July, reports of the new version's use began to arrive regularly. Some of these reports are accompanied by objective verification videos captured by reconnaissance UAVs. Such materials confirm the strikes themselves and allow for a rough estimate of the device's capabilities. However, it's difficult to confirm from the footage that the Gerbera Seeker was used: the type drone It is usually impossible to establish this unequivocally, and the connection to a specific model most often comes from the words of the parties to the conflict.
Thus, in the first ten days of July, a video emerged of a strike on an enemy position near the village of Dobropillya. According to the footage, a crew was preparing a heavy helicopter for takeoff, but the process was interrupted by an attack UAV, destroying both the aircraft and the crew. Russian sources claim the Gerbera Seeker was used in this incident, but there is no independent technical verification of the type of aircraft.
Around July 18, footage was published of the use of a Geran-4-Seeker UAV and, according to some reports, a Gerbera-Seeker UAV against transport vessels in several areas of the Black Sea. Of particular interest are the footage from the onboard cameras, which demonstrate the targeting accuracy. The involvement of the jet-powered Geran-4-Seeker is more reliably confirmed than that of the Gerbera-Seeker: in long-range footage, the drone types are difficult to distinguish.
The new modification has been captured on camera by random operators on several occasions, with low-altitude flights and hits being filmed. For example, on July 26 or 27, drones attacked enemy warehouses in the village of Krolevets (Sumy Oblast). The strike itself is consistent with the overall picture, but it's impossible to definitively link the drone type to the Gerber-Seeker based on publicly available data.
Destruction of an enemy drone launch site. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
By the end of the month, reports began to emerge from Ukraine. Experts there were reporting a new threat and were examining UAV wreckage to understand the design features and capabilities of such equipment.
However, the Gerbera Seeker is not invulnerable. Such low-speed UAVs are intercepted by mobile fire teams and short-range anti-aircraft systems, and sometimes suppressed. EW. Ukrainian Defense regularly claims to intercept and suppress dozens of such devices in a single attack, although it usually does not provide the share of Gerber-Seeker in the overall statistics.
It's clear that the Gerbera-Seeker will continue to be used, and photo and video footage—from both the Russian and Ukrainian sides—will increase. However, the overall potential of these drones is already clear.
On a ready platform
Development of the Gerbera began no later than the mid-2020s. The device began to appear regularly in open sources in 2025–2026, when reports of its serial use emerged.
Initially, the Gerbera was a decoy drone: these UAVs accompanied Geranium-2 attack aircraft and distracted enemy air defenses. Later, the aircraft was upgraded, with additional equipment and a warhead installed. Gradually, the Gerbera was transformed into a fully-fledged reconnaissance and attack drone.
All Gerbera models have a nearly identical design. The glider is a tailless glider with a pronounced fuselage, delta wing, and vertical stabilizer. Inexpensive and easy-to-work materials are used, such as foam and plywood.
According to estimates, the drone has average dimensions and weight:
- length - approx. 2 m;
- wingspan - approx. 2,4–2,5 m;
- take-off weight – up to 15–18 kg (depending on modification and configuration);
- payload - up to 8-10 kg.
A Gerbera-seeker or Geran-4-seeker attacks a surface target. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense / Zvezda TV Channel
The tail of the fuselage houses an internal combustion engine with a pusher propeller. There are no official performance specifications, but there are plausible estimates:
- maximum speed - up to 200 km/h;
- cruising speed - about 160 km/h;
- ceiling - not less than 3000 m;
- maximum range is 500–600 km with optimal configuration.
For the strike version with a heavier warhead, a number of estimates suggest a significant drop in range, so the figures remain indicative.
The basic version of the Gerbera had a simple control system: an autopilot with navigation instruments, guiding the UAV along a pre-set route.
The "seeker" modification features more sophisticated onboard equipment. It now features an operator-controlled mode and a new optical-electronic system. According to Ukrainian and OSINT analyses, a number of Russian missiles The UAVs and the drones use protected satellite navigation modules from the Kometa family with multi-element antennas; the exact modification installed on the Gerber-Seeker has not been confirmed. There's also a communications station operating in a mesh network—that is, capable of transmitting data through neighboring devices, increasing the range and stability of the channel (based on analysis of the wreckage, it's based on Chinese MIMO/Mesh modems). Presumably, some of the equipment is standardized with the Gerber-4-Seeker.
The designation "Seeker" reflects the modification's key feature: instead of purely route flight, the aircraft gains the ability to search for, recognize, and lock onto targets. Judging by publications, this is not a completely new drone, but a unified system that can be installed on various platforms within the family, from the Gerbera to the Geranium-4.
The key innovation of the "seeker" version is not just a camera, but a machine vision system. It allows the operator to select a target during the final phase of flight, after which the onboard automation tracks and locks onto it. For now, this function is more of a stated feature than a proven one: the exact algorithms and the actual level of autonomy have not been disclosed. Depending on the mission, the UAV can serve as a reconnaissance aircraft, a kamikaze, or an aerial relay vehicle.
The drone is armed with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead estimated to weigh up to 8–10 kg. This warhead is capable of damaging personnel and unprotected vehicles in open terrain, as well as unfortified structures. The exact mass of the explosive has not been officially announced.
All Gerbera variants are launched from a rail-mounted launcher, either on the ground or on a suitable self-propelled platform. Launch preparation takes little time and can be performed in a variety of conditions.
A Gerbera Seeker flies over the village of Krolevets. Photo: Telegram / Military Informant
New tool
The advantages of the Gerbera-Seeker are obvious. It's inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and easy to operate, capable of flying hundreds of kilometers before finding and engaging a target. Its warhead can destroy equipment, personnel, and light cover. The exact price is not disclosed, but according to open estimates, the Gerbera is one of the cheapest Russian fixed-wing UAVs: it's significantly cheaper than the Geranium strike drone and comparable in cost to, if not cheaper than, Lancet-class loitering munitions.
In fact, its niche lies at the intersection of low cost and long range. Thanks to its piston engine and lightweight warhead, the Gerbera-Seeker flies further and stays airborne longer (estimated at 3-4 hours) than the Lancet or Kub loitering munitions—vehicles of a different class and with a shorter range. In terms of range and warhead weight, it's inferior to the heavy Geranium missiles, but it's simpler and less expensive. Furthermore, a number of control system components are likely shared with the Geranium-4-Seeker—another advantage for production and procurement.
Ultimately, the Gerbera Seeker bridges the gap between short-range loitering munitions and heavy attack drones: the same crew can now conduct reconnaissance over hundreds of kilometers and finish off the target once found, without the need for a more expensive aircraft.
The project is also indicative in another respect. It demonstrates one of the key trends in unmanned aerial vehicles. aviationDeveloping a drone from scratch isn't always necessary—an existing platform can be retrofitted for new missions. Gerbera's experience confirms this: such modifications can even completely change the drone's purpose—from a decoy to a reconnaissance and strike vehicle.
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