Presidential Advisor on Radio Technologies Sergey "Flash" Beskrestnov explained the purpose of an unusual element that recently appeared on the hulls of Russian "Geran" drones (a modification of the Iranian Shahed) — characteristic protrusions resembling antennae or antennas, which the specialist and social media users had previously noticed in recent photos of the drones.
Presidential Advisor on Radio Technologies Sergey "Flash" Beskrestnov explained the purpose of an unusual element that recently appeared on the hulls of Russian "Geran" drones (a modification of the Iranian Shahed) — characteristic protrusions resembling antennae or antennas, which the specialist and social media users had previously noticed in recent photos of the drones.
According to Beskrestnov, this is a conventional mechanical contact-type detonator. Inside the structure there is a metal tube and a metal rod: when they touch an obstacle, they close together, and the warhead receives a command to detonate. There are no sensors or complex electronic sensors in this structure — the principle of operation is completely mechanical.
Earlier, when photos of drones with the new element first appeared, Beskrestnov himself wrote that he could not yet answer the question of the purpose of the "moustache", specifying only that it was definitely not an antenna. In the comments under his publications, users offered various versions — from an additional detonator trigger to a control element or a magnetometer for orientation.
Contact mechanical detonators (so-called "whiskers") are a well-known and common type of detonation initiators that have long been used on FPV drones on both sides of the front: upon collision with a target, the contacts close and the warhead is detonated.
