Specialists from the 1427th Regiment of the 11th Army Corps of Russia’s Sever Group of Forces have found a new use for restored trophy GNSS antennas, fitting them to cargo drones so the aircraft can follow a programmed route without maintaining a constant link with an operator.

A workshop technician with the call sign Voron said the antennas were developed by the enemy. After being obtained, the equipment is repaired, modified and installed on Russian unmanned aircraft.

The system is particularly effective on larger drones. Operators can program a route in advance and send the aircraft on its mission without having to keep it within direct line of sight throughout the flight, according to RIA Novosti.

The antennas also allow operators and control equipment to be positioned in locations where they are more difficult to detect. A serviceman launches the drone and assigns its flight mission, after which the aircraft can continue along the route independently. Communication with the operator may be completely absent while the mission is underway.

The workshop is installing the systems on Russia’s latest Gruzovik M500 UAVs. The drone can carry up to 35 kilograms of cargo and operate at distances of up to 12 kilometers.

Its design also allows the M500 to return after one of its engines is damaged, continuing the flight on the seven remaining engines.