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DanielR Profile picture
@DanielR33187703
Dec 21, 2023 • 11 tweets • 4 min read • Read on X
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1. In a earlier thread I showed the Russian “magic” Hermes radios for #drones: it resulted in a nice article in Forbes. That thread mostly discussed the receiver mounted on the drone. This is a closer look at the transmitter.
forbes.com/sites/davidham…
2. The Hermes transmitter is an external device that plugs into the back of various radio controllers, e.g., a RadioMaster TX16s. Power and signal to the module are over a 5-pin connector. Image
3. The case is 3D printed. The large volume of production implies they have several 3D printers as printing is a somewhat slow process. Image
4. Each case contains a fan and a connector for power and a control signal. The fan suggests the transmitter is high power. It is not clear how a circuit board would be mounted in this case. Image
5. Importantly, a careful examination of the previous photo reveals stacks of radio modules. These are very likely the ones used in the transmitter. Image
6. These look like the LoRa radio modules (model E22-900M30S) produced by EByte. They have a frequency range of 850 to 930 MHz and transmit 1 Watt (four times normal power). It is also available in a lower frequency (410-493 MHz) version. Image
7. Not shown is a microcontroller & circuit board. The EByte module communicates over a serial bus (SPI) so a microcontroller is expected, e.g., a STM32F4. A circuit board is required to connect the module, microcontroller and wires for power, fan & LED.
8. A few Russian groups provided product reviews of Hermes. Comments include, “slowdown in control response during aerobatic maneuvers” and “were only able to crush them with real, army electronic warfare. Trench electronic warfare does not take”

t.me/UAVDEV/4881
t.me/uavural/907
9. These comments are expected and there are no surprises. However, it is a little weird seeing product reviews of new Russian military equipment. Hermes seems to be producing a lot of these radios.
10. The Hermes team noticed my previous thread discussing their work. Subsequently, they posted an invitation on Telegram to join them for caviar but I must decline their offer of Russian hospitality. Image
11. If you enjoyed this thread please read my previous posts (listed under the “Highlights” tab).

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More from @DanielR33187703

DanielR Profile picture
Oct 21, 2025
1. This wreckage is Ukraine's secretive Bars (Snow Leopard) cruise missile that was first mentioned by Minister of Strategic Industries, Herman Smetanin in April 2024. The pieces in this photo are not arranged correctly but still give an idea what it looks like. Image
2. This jet-powered missile was spotted attacking Donetsk on September 14. The fuselage appears to be more curved than the common cylinder shape. There are no obvious winglets. The tail is consistent with a dual tail (H-tail). Image
3. One crashed in July and is shown here upside down and missing its nose. The jet engine has broken free. It clearly has an H-tail and a complex shape (non-cylindrical) fuselage. Visible are 3 supports for catapult or rocket-assisted takeoff. Image
Read 25 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Sep 8, 2025
1. This soldier was very excited because he scored a jet engine. A big question is, what drone is this a part of? Cutting up a drone before taking photos is common, and makes identification a more interesting challenge. Image
2. The engine is mounted on a pylon but there are no markings to work with. It is hard to even be sure if this a Ukrainian or a russian drone. It is common for drones to have been cut up to remove the warhead & useful components. Image
3. The engine is most likely made in China and has a "360" label, which is probably its size. But this is an unusual size so it could be a knock off. Note the four mounting straps. Image
Read 5 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Aug 14, 2025
1. It is beautiful but is this reconnaissance drone too good to use in a war? The various reconnaissance drones flown in Ukraine are well made and usually expensive. But are they too expensive? Image
2. At the start of the war, Ukraine obtain several Penguin-C military drones made in Latvia by UAV Factory (now called, Edge Autonomy). Image
3. This aircraft is fairly small but has a number of fancy design elements. The wing and tail are removed for transport. The red triangles show where the fasteners go. Image
Read 26 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Aug 8, 2025
1. Here is something a little unusual. It is a Zlin Z137T agricultural aircraft (crop duster) equipped with two R-73 air-to-air missiles for shooting down drones. There is no obvious gun so this is likely only for large drones like the Geran-2 (Shahed 136). Image
2. For reference, here is a Z137T in its tradition role of applying chemicals to a crop. A maximum cruise speed of 252 km/h will be a constraint as a drone hunter. Image
3. The R-73 missile uses infrared homing and has a maximum range of about 30 km. It is not clear how many of these are in inventory. Image
Read 5 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Jun 20, 2025
1. What would have been unthinkable a few years ago is now routine. Several Ukrainian drones successfully attacked a russian drone factory located in Dubna, only 115 km from the kremlin. This is a smart move by Ukraine, and there may be more to this attack than at first seems. Image
2. Importantly, one video showed several drones attacking, one after the other. Oddly, there was remarkably little air defence heard as each drone approached over a lake. What happened to russia’s air defence? Image
3. This shows the factory with the lake on the left (west) side. This building is very large. The camera operator (for #1) was quite close and was almost hit by shrapnel. Image
Read 24 tweets
DanielR Profile picture
Apr 23, 2025
1. Developing a new weapon is hard so why not just copy another company’s design? Fibre optic drones are a hot product and part 4 of this series looked at a company (Skywalker) who developed their own. Other companies have rushed to make similar weapons. Image
2. Here are two fibre optics kits made by the Chinese company, Skywalker. Opening the boxes is the likely owner of PGI Technology, which operates in China but is effectively russian. Initially, this photo was confusing. Was Skywalker collaborating with PGI Technology? Nope. Image
3. PGI bought these two Skywalker kits with the goal of copying the technology and selling their own version. The following photos are very unusual since they show the design process. Here is the Skywalker canister with a large drone frame. Image
Read 25 tweets

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