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Iranian flying wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Shahed Saegheh (Persian: شاهد صاعقه, 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 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| 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]
The specifications for the Saegheh are unknown, but it is believed to have a wingspan around 6–7 meters.[9]
The 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.
Later 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, 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]
In 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]
.jpg)
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]
Data from Tasnim News (2020)[12] and Иранский ударный БЛА "Shahed-191" (2019)[13]
General characteristics
Performance
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