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Russia Unveils Karakurt-R Micro Reconnaissance Drone for Urban Warfare at World Defense Show 2026.
Russia presented its Karakurt-R micro unmanned aerial system at World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, promoting it as a tube-launched reconnaissance tool for small combat units and internal security forces. The move underscores how soldier-borne drones are becoming standard equipment in modern ground warfare and a growing focus of export competition in the Middle East.
Russia has showcased its Karakurt-R micro unmanned aerial system at World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, highlighting how soldier-borne drones are now central to modern ground combat and internal security operations. Presented by Kalashnikov Group during the third edition of the Saudi event, held from 8 to 12 February 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Center, the system is being positioned as an organic reconnaissance tool for small units, special forces and law-enforcement teams operating in dense urban areas or complex terrain. In bringing this pocket-sized tube-launched copter to a major multi-domain defense exhibition, Russia is clearly signalling that the lessons drawn from recent high-intensity conflicts are now being packaged for the export market, with the Gulf and wider Middle East among the key target regions.
Russia used World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh to introduce its Karakurt-R micro reconnaissance drone, positioning the tube-launched system as an export-ready tool for small-unit ISR in urban and complex terrain operations (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group)
At the heart of Karakurt-R is a very simple idea: give each section or patrol its own aerial “periscope” that can be launched in seconds without specialist training or a dedicated UAV team. Kalashnikov classifies the system as an unmanned aerial system built around a micro-UAV, with copter-type mini air vehicles stored in sealed launch tubes and optimised for close-in observation of the surrounding area. Designed first and foremost as a soldier-level intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset, the drone is intended to be carried alongside standard combat equipment and used whenever visibility is limited by terrain, urban structures or vegetation. Russian sources describe the broader Karakurt family as reconnaissance microcopters delivering real-time imaging to the operator, with flight profiles tailored to low-altitude, short-range missions that support immediate decision-making at squad or platoon level.
The technical parameters of Karakurt-R place it firmly in the micro-UAV category while still offering a useful surveillance window. The equipped unmanned aircraft weighs 300 grams, which allows it to be integrated into personal load-bearing gear without displacing ammunition, radios or other mission-critical items. Its maximum speed is listed as 25 km/h, enough to reach a vantage point quickly while remaining controllable in cluttered, low-altitude environments. Endurance stands at 20 minutes, with a declared line-of-sight range of up to 2,000 metres and a typical operating altitude of around 150 metres, matching the short-range reconnaissance tasks it is designed to perform. The airframe is a vertical take-off and landing microcopter, powered by an electric propulsion system that reduces acoustic and thermal signatures and simplifies operation from trenches, vehicles, rooftops or confined courtyards. In doctrinal terms, these figures put Karakurt-R in the category of very short-range line-of-sight ISR platforms, suitable for rapid, localised sorties rather than extended persistence over the battlefield.
While the air vehicle is small, the overall system architecture has been designed to give a small unit day–night coverage and a degree of redundancy across a patrol or mission. A standard Karakurt-R set, as presented in Riyadh, consists of four reconnaissance micro-UAVs supplied in their own transport and launch containers: two equipped with daytime video cameras and two fitted with night-capable video sensors. The launch tubes protect the drone during transport and also serve as the firing canister, enabling a clean, controlled launch even from confined spaces. A single remote terminal acts as the command-and-control node, providing the operator with a live video feed and basic telemetry while hosting the control software and datalink. All components are stowed in a dedicated transport case, which can be assigned to a squad leader, reconnaissance element or special operations team. The official launch type is described as tube-launch, a configuration that supports rapid deployment and reduces exposure of the operator at the moment of take-off, an important factor in trenches, alleyways or other vulnerable positions.
The tactical employment concept that Kalashnikov is now presenting to international customers builds on operational experience gathered in recent combat theatres. Russian material on the Karakurt line emphasises aerial imaging reconnaissance with real-time data transmission, high manoeuvrability in confined space and the ability to launch from a compact tube from cover. In practical terms, this translates into a range of concrete use cases. An infantry section can send a microcopter over the next ridge line or across a street intersection before moving, rather than committing a scout into potential fire. Urban assault teams can use the drone to inspect courtyards, stairwells, roof edges or the upper floors of damaged buildings before entry. Border security elements can clear dry riverbeds, abandoned buildings or vehicle compounds without exposing personnel. At very short ranges, the drone can also assist in spotting enemy firing positions and improvised explosive device emplacements, or in providing local overwatch when troops are breaking contact. The platform’s modest flight time and range match these short, focused tasks: it is not a replacement for larger tactical UAVs, but a disposable, constantly available sensor that complements them.
Beyond its technical and tactical characteristics, Karakurt-R also fits into a broader soldier-modernisation and layered ISR logic that is increasingly visible across current conflicts. Russian industry has already announced the integration of Karakurt-family microcopters into advanced individual equipment suites such as the Legioner tactical gear, treating the drone as part of the baseline kit of the modern infantryman rather than as a niche capability kept at battalion level. In Riyadh, Kalashnikov is now extending that vision to export markets, presenting Karakurt-R as a way for armed forces and security agencies to push aerial reconnaissance down to the level of the individual operator. For Gulf states and other regional actors investing heavily in border protection, critical infrastructure security and rapid-reaction forces, the proposition is straightforward: each patrol, vehicle crew or intervention team gains an organic aerial sensor that can be operated by the same personnel already on the ground. The small size and tube-launch format also make the system attractive for integration with future soldier systems, light vehicles, and potentially even unmanned ground platforms where volume and weight are tightly constrained.
The choice to showcase Karakurt-R at World Defense Show 2026 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reflects both the growing maturity of Russia’s small unmanned systems portfolio and the strategic importance of the Saudi exhibition as a hub for multi-domain defense technologies. In a single briefcase-sized package, the system combines four microcopters, mixed day–night electro-optical payloads, a remote terminal and tube-launch capability, delivering a 300-gram vertical take-off drone that can reach out to two kilometres, remain airborne for around twenty minutes and operate at low altitude over complex terrain. For forces planning their next wave of soldier modernisation and small-unit ISR programmes, the message is clear: personal unmanned systems are no longer experimental gadgets, but expected elements of standard combat equipment. As high-intensity warfare continues to show the value of immediate, localised situational awareness, systems such as Karakurt-R are likely to be judged less by their raw specifications than by their ability to give ordinary soldiers a reliable, easy-to-use airborne observer whenever they need it.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.