Russia has started testing a new system to help drones identify friendly units during flight. The Identification-Friend-or-Foe (IFF) technology was announced on Tuesday by Rosel, a company under the state-owned defense firm Rostec.
According to Rosel’s news release, the system uses a radar-based transponder mounted on the drone and weighs less than 90 grams. It can identify friendly drones within 100 kilometers and up to five kilometers in altitude.
Russia unveils ‘friend or foe’ identification system for UAVs that can operate at a range of up to 100 km
In 2025, Rostec will start producing a ‘friend or foe’ identification system for drones capable of operating at a range of up to 100 km, the press service of the state… pic.twitter.com/tCQDdgZpXC
— Uncensored News (@uncensorednews9) April 23, 2025
According to the Russian defense contractor, the system is “suitable for integration into a wide range of both civilian and specialized drones, including agricultural and geodetic quadcopters.”
The IFF system is currently being tested on the Geodesy-401, an industrial drone used for aerial surveying. Flight tests are planned for the summer of 2025.
After summer tests, Rostec plans to start producing the IFF transponders later in 2025.
Ukraine has been developing its own drone IFF system, known as UA Drone ID, aimed at minimizing friendly fire and enhancing the survivability of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.
