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New “Red Dragon” Drone Can Strike 400 km Without GPS, May Already Be in Ukraine
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![Ivan_khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
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The United States-based company AeroVironment has unveiled the “Red Dragon,” a new loitering munition capable of finding and striking targets without GPS or direct operator control.
According to Defense Express on May 8, representatives of AeroVironment told The War Zone that the Red Dragon had already been used by at least one unnamed client in active military operations.
With a range of up to 250 miles, the drone is designed to autonomously identify and attack enemy positions even in contested electronic warfare environments.
The system was presented at the SOF Week 2025 conference and has reportedly already seen combat testing.
As Defense Express notes, Ukraine remains the only battlefield where such systems can be tested against advanced electronic warfare in real combat conditions, making it plausible that Red Dragon has already been secretly deployed for evaluation.
Given Ukraine’s extensive deployment of AeroVironment systems—including the Switchblade 300 and 600—Defense Express suggests the Red Dragon may have been covertly tested in Ukraine.
The drone is equipped with an optical seeker and a visual navigation system that allows it to identify and engage targets independently, even in environments where GPS signals are denied. This capability enables the drone to conduct operations in contested electromagnetic conditions, such as those present in Ukraine.
An operator can specify a general area where a target is expected. The Red Dragon system then autonomously scans the designated zone, detects potential targets, and either marks them on a map or initiates an attack, depending on mission parameters.
AeroVironment states that the drone has a communication range of 65 kilometers with an operator, which can be extended through airborne relays. In fully autonomous mode, the drone can cover distances of up to 400 kilometers.
It is capable of carrying a 10-kilogram shaped-charge warhead or other payloads, such as electronic warfare systems. Its top speed is 160 km/h, with a cruising speed of 90 km/h.
Despite its advanced capabilities, the Red Dragon is being marketed as a cost-effective and scalable platform. The system shares components with other AeroVironment drones, potentially streamlining production and logistics.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces used American-made Switchblade 600 drones to destroy at least three Russian air defense systems, including Buk and Tor units, in occupied Donetsk. According to the 14th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Aerial Systems, the strikes caused losses estimated at over $50 million and exposed key vulnerabilities in Russia’s radar defenses.
