Russian Guidance Chip With Western Parts Found In Iranian Drone That Hit UK Air Base In Cyprus

The wreckage of an Iranian drone that targeted the British Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri, Cyprus, on Sunday reportedly contained a Russian-made “Kometa” satellite navigation chip using Western-made components, according to OSINT accounts on X.

The British military air base Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a drone strike, resulting in “minor damage” to the military facility, the Cyprus Mail newspaper reported:https://t.co/0YOqD5eS2I

Video: World News/Х pic.twitter.com/iuBEvixw0R

— TASS (@tassagency_en) March 2, 2026

A video circulating on X appears to show the drone’s wreckage, with an unidentified person holding a Russian Kometa military antenna. The attack came shortly after the RAF moved radar systems, counter-drone defenses, and F-35 stealth fighter jets to the base as part of ongoing efforts to support Operation Epic Fury against Iran. 

OSINT X account Special Kherson Cat said:

Shahed kamikaze drones launched by Iran toward Cyprus were partially manufactured in Russia using western components.

Video footage shows a Russian-made “Kometa” satellite navigation module recovered from one of the Shahed drones used in the attack. The “Kometa” is an anti-jamming GNSS antenna system designed to protect the drone’s navigation from electronic warfare interference, improving targeting accuracy under contested conditions.

Shahed kamikaze drones launched by Iran toward Cyprus were partially manufactured in Russia using western components.

Video footage shows a Russian-made “Kometa” satellite navigation module recovered from one of the Shahed drones used in the attack. The “Kometa” is an… https://t.co/BXd2tMdYdl pic.twitter.com/3rYxapnMEk

— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) March 2, 2026

Another X account pointed out:

Those Taoglas CGGP.18.4.C.02 GNSS signal receivers are Irish and integrated into the Russian Orlan models back in 2024

Those Taoglas CGGP.18.4.C.02 GNSS signal receivers are Irish and integrated into the Russian Orlan models back in 2024 pic.twitter.com/gTXTuGRusi

— Mixed Strategy (@mixedstrategy) March 2, 2026

A separate report from independent Russian journalist Roman Dobrokhotov via The Insider provided more context about Russia’s Kometa military antennas, which are typically used on drones and guided bombs to avoid GPS jamming.

The report noted:

Russian engineers assemble the Kometa from parts imported by circumventing sanctions. For a long time, these parts were delivered directly to the Russian research institute making the antennas. But as The Insider discovered, more recent deliveries have been carried out using intermediary firms.

The Kometa is a patch antenna array for satellite navigation. All patch antennas shipped to Russia are processed under customs code 854231, which covers electronic circuits in general. All items under this code are under export bans from the United States, the UK, the European Union, and the Republic of China (Taiwan). However, as The Insider found, Kometas continue to be assembled from Irish- and Taiwanese-made antennas.

Taoglas

One Kometa can be assembled from four cheap antennas made by the Irish firm Taoglas. They enter Russia through Taiwanese or Chinese suppliers and are shipped to Russian firms that do not have websites, such as Hailang LLC in St. Petersburg.

Another X user, by the name Clash Report, said the Kometa chips are the “same system used on Russian drones and missiles in Ukraine,” suggesting possible reverse tech transfers between Iran and Russia.