The Shahed Saegheh (English: "Witness Thunderbolt"), also called the Shahed 191, is an Iranian turbofan/piston-powered flying wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) produced by Shahed Aviation Industries.[2] 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.[5] It is one of two Iranian flying wing UAVs based on the RQ-170, along with the Shahed 171 Simorgh, a larger version.
| Saegheh | |
|---|---|
| |
| A Saegheh-2[1] variant at a defence exhibition in Tehran. | |
| Role | Unmanned combat aerial vehicle |
| National origin | Iran |
| Manufacturer | Shahed Aviation Industries[2] |
| First flight | November 2014[3] |
| Introduction | October 2016 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | IRGC AF |
| Produced | 2010s–present |
| Number built | 10 built, 50 planned (2019)[4] |
| Developed from | RQ-170 Sentinel |
The Saegheh was revealed in October 2016.[6]
The drones can carry two Sadid-1 missiles, externally for the Saegheh-1, and internally for the Saegheh-2.[7][8]
As of 2017, 10 Saegheh drones were in production, and Iran planned to procure at least 50 by 2025.[2]
Variants
editThe specifications for the Saegheh are unknown, but it is believed to have a wingspan around 6–7 meters.[9]
Saegheh-1
editThe Saegheh-1 was first presented at an Iranian arms expo in 2016.
Iranian state news claimed the Saegheh-1 could carry four Sadid-1 precision-guided anti-tank guided missiles. The Iranian Government did not provide a demonstration of the UAV flying, or state what its range was.[10] The Saegheh-1 had no apparent _targeting/optical system.[1]
The first models of Saegheh lacked the frontal air intake of the Simorgh/RQ-170.
Saegheh-2
editLater shown models have a frontal air intake, although it's likely that models with piston engines do not have a frontal intake. The UAV takes off from specialized racks, that are mounted on a vehicle speeding down a runway (probably Toyota Hilux trucks), and is recovered on a runway with retractable landing skids.[11] According to Tasnim News, the Shahed 191 is 60% of the size of the RQ-170.[12]
The Shahed 191 carries two Sadid-1 missiles internally and lands on retractable landing skids.[11] The Shahed 191 has a cruising speed of 300 km/h, an endurance of 4.5 hours, a range of 450 km, and a payload of 50 kg.[13] The ceiling is 25,000 ft.[12] The wing span is 7.31 meters, the length 2.7 meters, the max takeoff weight 500 kg, and the max speed 350 km/h.[12]
Fars News Agency says the Saegheh-2 has been used in combat in Syria,[1] using missiles against the Islamic State terrorist organization.[citation needed]
Propeller-powered variant
editIn wargames held in 2019 Iran showed a Saegheh variant powered by a propeller. It carries its Sadid-1 weapons externally and lands on fixed landing skids.[11] It takes off similarly to the Shahed 191 variant.[11]
Operational history
edit
On 1 October 2018, the IRGC Aerospace Force used ballistic missiles and drones, supposedly including Saegheh UAVs, to attack _targets in the Abu Kamal region, in Eastern Syria.[14] Although Iran had first shown the Saegheh with four Sadid-1 missiles slung under the body, in this incident they released video they said showed a Saegheh UAV releasing a single Sadid-1 bomb from its internal bomb bays.[15]
Israel shot down a Saegheh during the February 2018 Israel–Syria incident. The Times of Israel reported that the UAV's design was largely based on the captured RQ-170; IAF Brigadier General Tomer Bar said that the drone was quite advanced and imitated western technology.[16]
In July 2022, the United States claimed that Russian officials had travelled to Iran to 'examine' drones, including several labelled on satellite images as Shahed-191. At least one of these aircraft was pictured in flight near Kashan airfield. The report stated that the aircraft appeared to be 'attack-capable'.[17]
Specifications (Shahed 191)
editData from Tasnim News (2020)[12] and Иранский ударный БЛА "Shahed-191" (2019)[13]
General characteristics
- Crew: none
- Length: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
- Wingspan: 7.31 m (24 ft 0 in)
- Gross weight: 500 kg (1,102 lb) 100 kg payload
- Max takeoff weight: 500 kg (1,102 lb)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 350 km/h (220 mph, 190 kn)
- Cruise speed: 300 km/h (190 mph, 160 kn)
- Range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi)
- Endurance: 4.5 h
- Service ceiling: 7,620 m (25,000 ft)
Armaments
editOperators
edit
See also
editRelated development
editAircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
editOthers
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Jeremy Binnie (31 January 2019). "Iran unveils new version of armed stealth UAV - Jane's 360". www.janes.com. London. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019.
- ^ a b c d Taghvaee, Babak (Jul 27, 2017). "Shahed 129 Heads Iran's Armed UAV Force". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
- ^ "Pentagon claims Iran's copy of captured US Sentinel drone 'inferior' to original - World news - The Guardian". Theguardian.com. 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ "Shahed 129 Heads Iran's Armed UAV Force | Aviation Week Network".
- ^ "Iran builds attack drone similar to captured US model, local media say". The Guardian. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- ^ Cenciotti, David (2 October 2016). "Iran unveils new UCAV modeled on captured U.S. RQ-170 stealth drone".
- ^ Nikolov, Boyko (12 June 2023). "CIA's RQ-170 UAV could usher in a new series of Russian drones". Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Roblin, Sebastien (14 September 2021). "Your Guide to Iran's Diverse Fleet of Combat Drones". The National Interest. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Frew, Joanna (May 2018). "Drone Wars: The Next Generation: An overview of current operators of armed drones" (PDF). Oxford: Drone Wars UK. p. 12.
- ^ Sharafedin, Bozorgmehr (1 October 2016). "Iran showcases new combat drone, copied from U.S. unmanned aircraft". Reuters. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d Binnie, Jeremy (27 March 2019). "The jet-powered one, known to be the Shahed-191, carries weapons in internal bays and lands using retractable skids".
- ^ a b c d "اینفوگرافیک/ تولید مثل جانور قندهار در ایران- گرافیک و کاریکاتور اینفوگرافیک تسنیم | Tasnim". خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim (in Persian). Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ a b prom1 (10 February 2019). "Иранский ударный БЛА "Shahed-191"".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Iran uses drones and missiles in cross border attack on enemies in Syria, armyrecognition.com/, October 4, 2018.
- ^ "For a Second Time, Iran Fires Missiles at IS _targets in Syria". www.washingtoninstitute.org.
- ^ Gross, Judah Ari (10 February 2018). "Iranian UAV that entered Israeli airspace seems to be American stealth knock-off". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "White House says Russian officials visited Iran twice to examine drones". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
- ^ Nikolov, Boyko (12 June 2023). "CIA's RQ-170 UAV could usher in a new series of Russian drones". Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Roblin, Sebastien (14 September 2021). "Your Guide to Iran's Diverse Fleet of Combat Drones". The National Interest. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
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