Reports suggest that Russian forces have stepped up the use of drone motherships to extend the operational range of FPV (First-Person View) kamikaze drones. These motherships serve as carriers and data-link nodes, allowing FPV drones to be deployed over significantly longer distances than they could achieve on their own.
This tactical use of mothership drones not only extends the range of FPV drones but also acts as a relay for control signals and video communication, potentially neutralizing the effectiveness of some electronic warfare countermeasures at closer ranges.
Ukrainian sources report that Russian FPV drones have been observed operating on the outskirts of Kharkiv at distances far beyond the typical operating range of FPV drones.
FPV drones use a line of sight (LoS) communication link, which restricts their operating range to less than 10 km, depending on operating height.
The range can, at best, be doubled through the use of communication relay drones. However, such extended range operations are highly susceptible to electronic warfare through disruption of the communication link of either the FPV drone or the communication relay drone.
Russian FPV drones have also reportedly been active in the area of the village of Liptsy.
First Use Of Drone Mothership With FPV Drones
The first use of FPV drones deep behind Ukrainian lines was first reported in September 2024. The drones were observed at a distance of about 40 kilometers from the front line.
On September 16, 2024, in a post on his Telegram Channel, Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka quoted eyewitnesses in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as saying:
“The Russians struck our unit with FPV drones, which were delivered by a reusable UAV mother, at a distance of 40 km from the front line. The mother conducted visual reconnaissance and directed the FPV to attack. It also functioned as a repeater of control and video signals. The proximity of the mother-repeater to the FPV reduces the effectiveness of trench electronic warfare to zero. The Russians used this concept against us for the first time.”
Admiral VTOL Combat Drone Carrier
In October 2023, it was reported that Russia’s SvyazSpetszachita was marketing the “Admiral” VTOL combat drone carrier that carries 2 FPV-type drones to a distance of up to 400 km.
The Admiral carrier drone reportedly has 4 hours of endurance cruising at 120 kph. Its 10 kg payload allowed it to carry two “Fighter-7”(Боец) quadcopters
Each Fighter FPV, in turn, featured a 2 kg payload and 6.5 km range.
The developers claim that in the near future, the Admiral would be able to carry 4 FPVs.
Admiral Drone operators use digital control, and a technical vision system based on a neural network for recognizing specified objects.
In March 2024, it was reported on social media that Russia was developing a drone “mothership” named Pchelka (Пчёлка), which in Russian means little bee.
Footage of the Admiral drone posted on the web shows a conventional aircraft-shaped drone with a nose-mounted puller propeller and four rotors, two each on either end of booms mounted mid-wing and aligned with the fuselage. The drone is seen taking off vertically using its battery-driven rotors at max thrust and its front-mounted internal combustion engine idling.
Russian Forces Unleash Kamikaze FPV Drone Motherships
Russia, reportedly for the first time, used a drone carrier drone to drop FPV kamikaze drones deep behind Ukrainian lines.
A Ukrainian source reported, "The Russians hit our unit with FPV drones, which were delivered by a… pic.twitter.com/o5vDbJpoHJ
— Vijainder K Thakur (@vkthakur) September 16, 2024
Later, the drone is seen with its direct lift rotors stopped. Slung under the drone, as seen by an onboard camera, a payload kamikaze drone is visible. The carrier drone drops the kamikaze FPV drone which then executes an attack on an adversary target.
During the cruise, the internal combustion engine not only powers the horizontal flight of the drone but also additionally restores the quadcopter batteries to full charge so that when the relatively heavier carrier drone returns to base, it can comfortably hover and land.
After releasing the FPV drones in the target area, the carrier drone also serves as a signal repeater, allowing the FPVs to be controlled from a greater range.
High-Level Push for Mothership Drones
The “drone carrier concept represents a significant development in drone warfare technology. By acting as both a carrier and a relay station, the mothership drone can significantly increase the effective range of the kamikaze FPV drones.
In May 2024, the commander of the 24th OBRSpN Guard, Colonel Denis Malakhov, at a meeting of unit heads with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, reportedly stated that control of unmanned aircraft requires development in the form of the creation of an aircraft-type UAV carrier for FPV drones. President Putin appears to have taken note.
The carrier concept not only extends the combat radius of FPV drones but also enhances tactical flexibility and reduces the risk to drone operators. With short-range FPVs, drone operators have to be located in close proximity to the target area, which makes them prone to the equivalent of counter-battery fire. Using signal intelligence, it’s easy for the adversary to extrapolate their position.
There can be no doubt that the drone mothership concept exemplifies a leap in drone warfare technology, offering significant tactical advantages.
However, the concept also represents a price escalation that may, to some extent, negate the cost advantage that makes drone warfare effective due to its affordability.
The “Admiral” drone carrier, for example, is priced at 7.2 million rubles ($74K). As such, it’s unlikely to be available in numbers that would put them at the disposal of field units.
Lack of Evidence Supporting the Use of Drone Motherships
Notwithstanding the numerous reports on the use of drone motherships and the dissemination of videos, there is yet no hard evidence of their use so far behind Ukrainian lines.
However, Russia is known to be sharply focused on advancing drone technology and scaling up drone production. Russia’s introduction of fiber-optic cable-controlled FPV drones in the Kursk sector in August 2024 gave it an advantage over Ukrainian forces.
On January 28, 2025, President Vladimir Putin visited the AvtoVAZ plant in Tolyatti, where he held a meeting focused on the development of unmanned aircraft systems (UAVs).
During this meeting, he emphasized that by 2030, Russia should aim to become one of the global technological leaders in the field of unmanned aircraft systems.
This statement was made in the context of his visit to the Samara Research & Production Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, highlighting the strategic importance of advancing Russia’s capabilities in this technology sector.
- Vijainder K Thakur is a retired IAF Jaguar pilot, author, software architect, entrepreneur, and military analyst.
- VIEWS PERSONAL OF THE AUTHOR
- Follow the author @vkthakur
