Russia has equipped its Garpiya-A1 long-range kamikaze drone with two miniature FPV quadcopters to carry out secondary strikes deep behind enemy lines.
Footage published by the Russian military-focused Telegram channel Osvedomitel revealed the unusual modification after the aircraft was filmed in flight by an opposing interceptor drone. The recording shows a triangular-winged unmanned aerial vehicle, matching the delta-wing profile of a Geran-2 or Garpiya-A1, with a pair of small quadcopters mounted directly onto its wing structure.
Under the operational concept, the primary aircraft functions as a mothership and airborne signal repeater to transport the smaller kamikaze drones into rear operational areas. While the main carrier flies toward its primary target, the attached first-person view units can be released to strike secondary military assets.
First-person view quadcopters are small, highly maneuverable drones fitted with real-time video cameras that allow operators to pilot them directly into targets with high precision. However, standard FPV drones typically suffer from short battery life and limited radio signal range. Utilizing a larger long-range drone as a flying relay station allows operators to bypass terrain obstacles and control the mini-quadcopters far beyond their normal operating limits.
Carrier Range and Previous Drone Configurations
Earlier in August, defense reports revealed that the Garpiya-A1 is capable of striking targets at distances of up to 1,000 kilometers. The standard baseline version of the long-range attack drone carries a warhead weighing more than 50 kilograms.
The technique of piggybacking smaller strike drones onto larger flight platforms represents a growing trend in unmanned aerial tactics. In May, military observers noted a similar setup in the special military operation zone, where a Russian Gerbera drone was spotted carrying a quadcopter into combat.
Gerbera and Geran-2 drones are part of a broader class of delta-wing loitering munitions used for long-distance strike and decoy operations, making them suitable platforms for carrying auxiliary payloads into contested airspace.
