Shahed Aviation Industries

Drones

In 2022, the Iranian military-industrial complex regularly presents the latest samples and concepts of various types of UAVs. Not all of them reach mass production, but a significant part is put on stream.

The Iranian concept of "shoot down - study - create an analogue" has proven its effectiveness, making Iran one of the largest manufacturers of UAVs.

And during the special operation of Russia in Ukraine in 2022, it became clear that hundreds of cheap low-flying drones are much more effective than several expensive UAVs or cruise missiles.

Shahed-238

In early August 2024, the technical characteristics of the Iranian kamikaze drone Shahed-238 equipped with a jet engine became known. This device is capable of intercepting the most powerful American drones.

Compared to Shahed-136, the new UAV retained a similar layout and size. At the same time, the piston engine gave way to a small turbojet unit that runs on Jet-A fuel (and not gasoline). The turbojet Toloue-10 weighs about 20.5 kg, while the piston engine MD550 in the Shahed-136 has a weight of 17.59 kg. The changes led to the need to install an air intake at the top of the fuselage. The flight speed of the Shahed-238 increased, but the fuel supply decreased slightly. The maximum takeoff weight rose from 250 kg to 380 kg.

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armyrecognition.com

The drone Shahed-238 exists in three modifications, each of which is designed to perform certain tasks. In particular, one of the options is equipped with an inertial navigation system and satellite guidance, as well as an infrared homing head for adjusting target designation at the final stage of the flight. To receive satellite navigation signals, according to reports, a block of four TW1721 antennas from the Canadian company Tallysman is used. Another version uses an anti-radar head. The drone is Shahed-238 capable of attacking both ground and air targets, including the American MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The new Iranian UAV has a length of 3.5 m and a wingspan of 3 m. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 600 km/h, while when diving on a target this value exceeds 700 km/h. The drone can be operated at an altitude of up to 9100 m, the fuel reserve is enough for two hours of flight.^[1]

Shahed-191

Data for 2022

Shahed-136

Shahed-133 is an analogue of the Israeli Hermes

In November 2022, Iranian media published personnel of the work of national-made drones, including the Shahed-133 UAV.

This aircraft is an exact copy of the Israeli UAV Hermes-200 (in some sources Hermes-180), shot down several years ago in the area of ​ ​ the Iranian city of Natanz.

The UAV is launched from a catapult that can be installed on any platform, including cars or ships, which significantly expands the possibilities for its use.

Also, Iranian engineers equipped the Shahed with two pendants for two Sadid-345 guided bombs, which was not in the Israeli version of the UAV.

Shahed-129