Ukraine details Susanin optical navigation system in Russian Geran UAVs

Susanin navigation module recovered from a Geran-5 K5-K cruise missile by DIU. (Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU))

Russia's Susanin module enables Geran-4 and Geran-5 one-way attack (OWA) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to use optical scene-matching navigation without the intervention of an operator, a representative of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), also known as HUR (Holovne Upravlinnia Rozvidky), told Janes on 10 November 2026.

According to a 9 November DIU social media post, the module was also discovered in a Geran-5 K5-K, a variant that the agency classifies as a cruise missile.

The Susanin navigation module compares camera imagery of the terrain with reference imagery stored in a Coke Pi microcomputer to help the missile follow “the correct route from launch point to target”, according to the DIU post. The Susanin module can process optical-sensor data during flight.

DIU also said in its November post that the Susanin module in the Geran-5 K5-K cruise missile used a dual-band camera.

Geran-5 K5-K

According to DIU, the Geran-5 K5-K cruise missile is 4 m long, has a 3 m wingspan, and a flight ceiling of 6 km. Its cruising speed is more than 450 km/h, and it can reach a maximum speed of 1,000 km/h during some manoeuvres. DIU said its 1,000 km range and 90 kg warhead weight were unchanged from the Geran-5 OWA UAV.

The key differences between the Geran-5 and the Geran-5 K5-K are in their dimensions and fuselage shape, the DIU representative told Janes , adding that the improved aerodynamics of the Geran-5 K5-K provide greater flight speed.

Russia began using the Geran-5 K5-K cruise missile in early autumn 2026 to strike Ukrainian cities, according to DIU.