Evading Air Defense Systems

Iran Seeks Russian Jet Drones

Tehran has asked Moscow for Grom-4 and Grom-5 UAVs that penetrate air defenses at far higher rates than propeller models — with Israel and the U.S. in the crosshairs

Gila Isaacson

SEP 14, 2026 09:46

1 min read

Iran has approached Russia in recent months requesting advanced jet-powered drones from the Geran-4 and Geran-5 series, intending to deploy them in warfare against the United States and Israel, according to a report published in the Financial Times.

The report indicates that Russia's new drones have struck numerous targets across Ukraine in recent weeks, successfully penetrating air defense systems at significantly higher rates than their propeller-driven predecessors. The enhanced ability of these new platforms to evade interceptors has made them a coveted asset for Tehran.

Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Russian research institute Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, told the newspaper: "The reason Russia has managed to establish a new and significant production line from scratch lies in the fact that technologically, the process is much simpler than manufacturing equipment like tanks, which require enormous, specialized, and expensive processing machinery."

The Iranian request comes against the backdrop of the ongoing deepening alliance between Moscow and Tehran, as Moscow continues to supply Iran with advanced military capabilities. Military cooperation between the two nations has intensified during the war in Ukraine, with Iran having supplied Russia with various types of drones.