Full deployment of Russia's low-orbit Rassvet satellite constellation will increase the operational effectiveness of Geran drones tenfold, according to military expert Yuri Knutov in an interview with state news agency TASS.
Knutov, a retired colonel who serves as director of the Air Defence Forces Museum, stated that the satellite network would transform control systems for uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Currently, Russian Geran drones rely on a Mesh guidance system to transmit operational data. Under the current setup, video images are passed sequentially from one drone to another before reaching an operator located several hundred kilometres away.
Drone guidance technology
Knutov told TASS that data transmission under the Rassvet constellation would become ten times faster, wider in scope, and of higher visual quality. He said the improved transmission would create new capabilities for striking targets.
He added that expanding the satellite constellation would allow Russian uncrewed aircraft to operate without hindrance across the entire territory of Ukraine.
Mesh networks rely on decentralized nodes where individual units relay information across a chain rather than sending signals directly to a ground base or satellite. While this allows long-range transmission, signal hops between multiple drones can limit speed and resolution.
Satellite network expansion
Low-Earth orbit satellite constellations operate at altitudes below two thousand kilometres. Because they sit much closer to Earth than traditional geostationary satellites, low-orbit networks offer reduced signal latency and faster data relay for military hardware.
Rassvet, which translates to Dawn in Russian, is designed as a low-orbit satellite communication system. Geran drones are long-range uncrewed aerial vehicles deployed by Russian forces.
Military funding and structure
The expert's comments follow instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin directing the government to allocate funds to the Ministry of Defence. The financial allocation comes in connection with the establishment of a new target strength for the Russian Armed Forces.
TASS is a state-owned Russian news agency headquartered in Moscow. The Museum of the Air Defence Forces is a Russian military museum located near Moscow dedicated to the history and technology of air defence weaponry.
