Shahed drones are unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) and loitering munitions (exploding kamikaze drones) developed by Iranian company Shahed Aviation Industries. [1] The drones have been claimed to be made of commercial components. [2]
"Shahed" translates from both Persian and Arabic to "witness". [3]
Models include the following (in numeric order): [a]
The drones are developed by Shahed Aviation Industries. [1] Despite international sanctions against Iran, the drones are made of commercial parts from companies headquartered in the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Poland. [2] Due to their commercial availability, the components are poorly regulated or uncontrolled, [2] [4] and according to a Ukrainian report submitted to the G7, the parts are imported to Iran from Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Costa Rica. [2] Allegedly, every drone manufactory plant in Iran has two replacement sites to ensure production is not disrupted in the event of an aerial attack. [5]
On 5 December 2011, the Iranian government seized an American Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel UAV, which had been commandeered and brought down by Iran's cyberwarfare unit. [6] Shahed Aviation Industries then reverse-engineered the American UAV, and used the acquired knowledge to develop the Shahed 171 Simorgh and Shahed 191 (Shahed Saegheh). [7]
During the seventy-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023, the United States accused Iran of supplying Russia with drones during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and aiding Russia in the development of a drone production plant. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi denied the allegations, responding, "We are against the war in Ukraine." [8] Months earlier, Sky News received purported document evidence dated 14 September 2022 from an informed source that Russia had purchased over US$1 million of artillery and tank shells and rockets. [9] In June 2023, a U.S. intelligence finding released by the White House reported Iran was supplying Russia with materials to construct a drone manufacturing plant. [10] In February 2024, additional document evidence was leaked revealing Russia's purchases of drones and an arrangement for Iran to assist Russia in developing a manufacturing facility, both purchased for a total of US$1.75 billion, paid in gold ingots. [5]
According to the document submitted to the G7, the Iranian government is trying to "disassociate itself from providing Russia with weapons" and that "[it] cannot cope with Russian demand and the intensity of use in Ukraine." [2] Consequently, the Yelabuga drone factory was established in Alabuga Special Economic Zone, part of the Republic of Tatarstan, an autonomous region of Russia, more than 1,300 km (810 mi) from the Russia–Ukraine border. [5] [11] The manufactory is next to the Kama River, permitting transportation by ship directly from Iran via the Caspian Sea, [5] and is operated by the company Albatross, which employs students as young as 15 years-old from Alabuga Polytechnic College to construct the combat drones. [12] Russia aims to build 6,000 UCAVs by summer 2025 [13] at a rate of 310 drones per month if the factory operates 24 hours a day, predicting the cost of production of one Geran-2 to be US$48,000. [5] However, Russia has upgraded the drones over several iterations and has consequently increased the unit production cost to around US$80,000 as of April 2024. [14]
In a 2 April 2024 attack, Ukraine launched an improvised long-range loitering munition targeting and damaging Russia's drone production facility, allegedly causing "significant damage." [15] [13]
The Shahed 107 was revealed to Sky News by an anonymous security source in January 2024. It was described as a loitering munition with possible reconnaissance technologies, such as a live video feed. [16] The source also reported it is about 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) long and has a wingspan of 3 m (9.8 ft). The UCAV can be launched from a vehicle and is estimated to have a range of up to 1,500 km (930 mi). [16] The source also told Sky News that Iran had offered "a few units" to Russia in a deal worth more than US$2 million. [16]
The Shahed 121 was first noticed in 2016 when it flew over the USS Harry S. Truman, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in international airspace. The US Navy regarded this as a security breach which had not happened since 2014. The incident occurred after a nuclear deal that Iran signed with world powers, including the US. A US Navy Seahawk helicopter filmed the incident. The flight of Shahed 121 was considered by Iranian authorities to be safe as its wings were all "clean", implying that the drone did not carry weapons and was not dangerous to ships, but the high command of the US Navy described it as "abnormal" and "unprofessional." [17]
The Shahed 129, sometimes S129, is an Iranian single-engine medium-altitude long-endurance UCAV designed for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. [18] It is capable of combat and reconnaissance missions. It has an endurance of 24 hours; it is similar in size, shape, and role to the American MQ-1 Predator. [19] The Shahed 129 has been used for airstrikes in the Syrian Civil War and for border patrol on Iran's eastern border. [20] As of 2017, the Shahed 129 and Shahed Saegheh are expected to form the backbone of Iran's high-end UAV fleet for at least the next decade. [20]
The Shahed 131, also called Geran-1 (Russian : Герань-1, literally "Geranium-1") in Russian service, came to prominence in October 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [21] [22] It is powered by a Wankel engine model Shahed-783/788. [22] The Shahed-131 flight control unit was found to be able to connect with Iridium satellites, which in theory allows the flight path to be altered mid-flight. [23] [24] The flight controller has a backup inertial navigation system by MEMS gyroscope. Its primary instructions are derived from a commercial-grade GPS unit. [24]
The Shahed 131 is visually distinguished by vertical stabilisers that extend only upwards from the ends of the wings, while on the larger Shahed 136 they extend both up and down. [25] It has a 15 kg (33 lb) warhead and has a range of 900 km (559 mi). [25] [26]
The HESA Shahed 136, or simply Shahed 136, [27] known also as the Geran-2 (Russian : Герань-2) in Russian service, is a loitering munition in the form of an autonomous pusher-prop UCAV. [28] It is designed and manufactured by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company, or HESA, in association with Shahed Aviation Industries. [29] Its first appearance was 13 September 2022, when photos of the remains of a drone used by Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine were publicly released. [27] The wings were inscribed with "M412 Герань-2" ("M412 Geran-2" in Russian) as a means of disguising the drone and concealing Iran's part in the invasion of Ukraine, [2] but it was recognized by its wing design, and Geran-2 drones are considered by Ukraine and its Western allies to be redesignated Iranian-made Shahed 136 drones. [27] [30] [31] Experts have estimated a Shahed 136 costs between US$20,000 to US$50,000 to make. [32] [5] A series of leaked emails and documents revealed Russia had purchased 6,000 Shahed 136s for US$193,000 each in 2023. [5]
The drones were used in the October 2022 missile strikes on Kyiv [33]
The Shahed 147 is a twin-boom, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) surveillance UAV powered by a turboprop engine. [34] It possesses a wingspan of 26 m (85 ft) and a maximum flight altitude of 60,000 feet. [34] [35] The drone also possesses Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging for surveillance. [34] The Shahed 147 was revealed during the 19 November 2023 Iranian Aerospace Force Exhibition, attended by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. [35]
The Shahed 149 Gaza was unveiled on 21 May 2021 and named after the Gaza Strip in honor of Palestinians' struggle amid the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis. [36] The drone is a high-altitude, long-endurance UAV similar in size, shape and role to the American MQ-9 Reaper. [37] [38] It is a larger and heavier than the earlier Shahed 129. [37] It has a flight duration of 24 hours, a maximum operating radius of 2,500 km (1,600 mi), 21 m (69 ft) wingspan, 340 km/h (210 mph) maximum speed and is capable of carrying 13 bombs and 500 kg (1,100 lb) of electronic equipment. [17] [39] [40] It was the first Iranian UAV powered by a turboprop engine. [41]
The Shahed 171 Simorgh, named after a benevolent bird of Persian mythology, [42] and called IRN-170 by the US government, [43] is a jet-powered flying wing UCAV. [42] It is based on an American Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel UAV that was seized by Iran in 2011 and reverse-engineered. [7]
The Shahed 191, also called the Shahed Saegheh, sometimes spelled "Saeqeh," [42] was first revealed at an Iranian arms expo in October 2016. [44] The name comes from the Persian word for "thunderbolt." [42] Like the Shahed 171 Simorgh, the Shahed 191 is based on the seized Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel. [7] The Shahed 191 has two variants, the Saegheh-1 and the Saegheh-2. [45]
The Saegheh-1 is a flying wing UCAV powered by a turbofan and piston-engine. [45] [46] The drone can carry two Sadid-1 missiles externally, [45] a combined payload weight of 50 kg (110 lb). [47]
The Saegheh-2 is a jet-powered flying wing UCAV launched from a moving car. It can reportedly fly at a cruising speed of 300 km/h (190 mph) for just over 4.5 hours, and can travel a distance of at least 450 km (280 mi). The Saegheh-2 can carry two Sadid-1 missiles internally. [45] [47]
The Shahed 238 is a turbojet-powered loitering munition. In September 2023, a trailer for an Iranian state TV documentary on Iranian drone development revealed a new version of Shahed 136 powered by a jet engine. [48] [49] The new drone was publicly unveiled in November 2023 during an aerospace achievement exhibition organized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was attended by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Three variants were displayed in a black color scheme, though whether this is a radar-absorbent material or simply a paint scheme for night operations is unknown. [50]
A Russian Major General claimed in an interview with Russian agency Sputnik that the Shahed 238 would be a new version of the Geran-2, and that it would capable of travelling at top speeds of 800 km/h (500 mph) during a dive. [51] [52] Iran, however, claims it can reach considerably lower top speeds of only 500 km/h (310 mph), powered by the Toloue-10 or Toloue-13 micro-turbojet 896 engine. [52] Due to the new engine, compared to the HESA Shahed 136, there is less space available for fuel, presumably resulting in a reduced flight range and payload size. [52]
The three Shahed 238 variants each had different guidance systems: one with basic GPS and GLONASS-based inertial navigation systems, as used in the Shahed 136, to hit fixed targets; [52] electro-optical and infrared camera sensors for heat-seeking, with some reports suggesting the missiles could be directed by an operator using the video feed; [52] [32] and a radar-detection system to attack air defenses and other radars, allowing it to be used for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses. [52] [32]
In early January 2024, evidence emerged to suggest Russia had launched at least one Shahed 238 in an attack on Ukraine. [51] Analysis of a destroyed model found several western components, such as a Czech PBS TJ150 turbojet engine, electronic chips from US manufacturers Intel and Texas Instruments, and satellite navigation antennas from Tallysman Wireless, [53] indicating that Iran has found a means to bypass international sanctions.
This was followed by actual Shahed 191 flying wing stealth drones, the piston-engine Saegheh-1, and jet-powered Saegheh-2.
An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and carries aircraft ordnance such as missiles, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), and/or bombs in hardpoints for drone strikes. These drones are usually under real-time human control, with varying levels of autonomy. UCAVs are used for reconnaissance, attacking targets and returning to base; unlike kamikaze drones which are only made to explode on impact, or surveillance drones which are only for gathering intelligence.
The history of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) is closely tied to the general history of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). While the technology dates back at least as far as the 1940s, common usage in live operations came in the 2000s. UCAVs have now become an important part of modern warfare, including in the Syrian civil war, the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), or Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation, is an Iranian aircraft production company. Established in 1976, it belongs to the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) and is located at Shahin Shahr, Isfahan province. Approximately 2 million square meters or 500 acres of land on which the company is established was gifted by the locally notable and well-regarded Boroumand family. The company has thousands of square meters of available grounds, and 250,000 square meters of shops and hangars are allocated to A/C part manufacturing, assembling, laboratories, flight test facilities and shops of preparation for production.
The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, nicknamed Wraith, is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has released few details on the UAV's design or capabilities, defense analysts believe that it is a stealth aircraft fitted with aerial reconnaissance equipment. Introduced in 2007, it was deployed to Afghanistan in late 2007, and to South Korea two years later, in September 2009. Some images and details of the aircraft were released after Iran captured an RQ-170 in 2011. It has a flying wing design, and uses a single engine, speculated to be either a General Electric TF34 turbofan or a Garrett TFE731.
On 5 December 2011, an American Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was captured by Iranian forces near the city of Kashmar in northeastern Iran. The Iranian government announced that the UAV was brought down by its cyberwarfare unit which commandeered the aircraft and safely landed it, after initial reports from Western news sources disputedly claimed that it had been "shot down". The United States government initially denied the claims but later President Obama acknowledged that the downed aircraft was a US drone. Iran filed a complaint to the UN over the airspace violation. Obama asked Iran to return the drone. Iran is said to have produced drones based on the captured RQ-170 including the Shahed 171 Simorgh and Shahed Saegheh. The UAV in question was diverted by Iran jamming from the ground in Iraq. By positioning jamming in front of known flight paths provided by russian intel, the Iranians jammed the 170s GPS uplink blinding its GPS nav and sending it into limp home mode. Taking advantage of this the Iranians then provided a hacked GPS signal where the rq-170 re-acquired the false GPS signal sending false coordinates sending the aircraft off course and over the Iranian border to an airfield purposely built to mimic the airfield where the drone took off from... the aircraft auto lands its self when sent the home signal... the damage to the airframe was due to the runway altitude in Iran was about 20 feet higher than its home base causing the airframe to do a heavy landing.
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The Shahed Saegheh, also called the Shahed 191, is an Iranian turbofan/piston-powered flying wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) produced by Shahed Aviation Industries. It is based on, but smaller than and substantially different from, a Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel UAV that was captured by Iran in 2011 and then reverse-engineered. It is one of two Iranian flying wing UAVs based on the RQ-170, along with the Shahed 171 Simorgh, a larger version.
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The Shahed 171 Simorgh is an Iranian jet-powered flying wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) produced by Shahed Aviation Industries.
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The Shahed 149 Gaza or, is an Iranian unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It was unveiled on 21 May 2021 and named after the Gaza Strip in honor of the Palestinians' struggle against Israel amid the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis. It was delivered to the IRGC Aerospace Force in 2022.
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Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center (SAIRC), subordinate to the IRGC ASF, has designed and manufactured several Shahed-series UAV variants, including the Shahed-136 one-way attack UAV ...