Iranian UAVs | News and Discussions

[Flames In The Desert]

 

[Messerschmitt]

 

[Persian Gulf]

Nice visual comparison of Shahed-136 (in background, white) and Shahed-238 (in foreground, black)

 

[Persian Gulf]

 

[GWXP]

Several days ago IRGC threatened to close the Mediterranean Sea to maritime traffic.

"They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, [the Strait of] Gibraltar and other waterways," Tasnim quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi.

I wonder how Iran will do that.

Probably, we are witnessing the development of Iran's capability to threaten maritime traffic in:

1) The Persian Gulf
2) The Red Sea
3) Eastern Mediterranean and Suez Canal
4) Northern Part of the Arabian Sea

Several days ago Iranian drone hit a ship in the Arabian Sea nearly 800km away from Iranian coast.

How did they hit that ship at that distance? Did they use a Shahed-129 drone as a signal repeater for providing communication link between the Shahed-136 drone and the ground station at a distance of 800km?

If Iran has the capability to hit ships 800km away from Iran's coast, imagine the areas that can be closed to maritime traffic if these drones are positioned in Yemen and Lebanon. In addition to the Persian Gulf and Northern part of the Arabian Sea, Iran can close the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

In addition Iran can close the Suez Canal by targeting ships inside the Canal with drones launched from Lebanon (360km distance).

 

[tsunset]

Talking of area denial and range...

Diego Garcia which hosts most of the high value US assets (B-1, B-2, B-52, F-22, F-35) in numbers is located at 4000km from Iranian coast

Anyone has an idea if Iran is able to reach it? K-4 2000km claimed range is a semi-lie, if it cuts 1.5t warhead to something like 750kg, it could reach 4000km, if downed to 500, 6000KM IRBM

 

[Messerschmitt]

 

[Flotilla]

Shahed-139 specifications

Operating radius - 1800km
Flight time - 28 hrs
Flight ceiling - 25,000ft
Max speed - 220 km/h
Maximum takeoff weight - 1200kg
Horsepower - 115hp (likely Rotax 914)
Wing span - 17m

View attachment 4920

Jodaieman!, again the Rotax 214??. IRGC or IRIN companies could develop just a bit more powerful engine for making it with a heavier payloed. Just my oppinion!.

 

[strkyer1982]

Talking of area denial and range...

Diego Garcia which hosts most of the high value US assets (B-1, B-2, B-52, F-22, F-35) in numbers is located at 4000km from Iranian coast

Anyone has an idea if Iran is able to reach it? K-4 2000km claimed range is a semi-lie, if it cuts 1.5t warhead to something like 750kg, it could reach 4000km, if downed to 500, 6000KM IRBM

Diego Garcia is prey since K-1 came out. Maybe even Ghaem-100 SLV.

 

[strkyer1982]

Several days ago IRGC threatened to close the Mediterranean Sea to maritime traffic.

"They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, [the Strait of] Gibraltar and other waterways," Tasnim quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi.

I wonder how Iran will do that.

Probably, we are witnessing the development of Iran's capability to threaten maritime traffic in:

1) The Persian Gulf
2) The Red Sea
3) Eastern Mediterranean and Suez Canal
4) Northern Part of the Arabian Sea

Several days ago Iranian drone hit a ship in the Arabian Sea nearly 800km away from Iranian coast.

How did they hit that ship at that distance? Did they use a Shahed-129 drone as a signal repeater for providing communication link between the Shahed-136 drone and the ground station at a distance of 800km?
View attachment 5262
If Iran has the capability to hit ships 800km away from Iran's coast, imagine the areas that can be closed to maritime traffic if these drones are positioned in Yemen and Lebanon. In addition to the Persian Gulf and Northern part of the Arabian Sea, Iran can close the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

In addition Iran can close the Suez Canal by targeting ships inside the Canal with drones launched from Lebanon (360km distance).
View attachment 5264
View attachment 5280
View attachment 5266
View attachment 5269

People don't know just how far the range of danger is for shipping past Iran's borders. Extends very deep into the Indian Ocean sea lanes.

 

[GWXP]

People don't know just how far the range of danger is for shipping past Iran's borders. Extends very deep into the Indian Ocean sea lanes.

Lets assume Iran has a drone similar to Israel's Harop with a Satellite communications datalink (SATCOM).

With SATCOM Iran can have a direct communication link with a drone thousands of kms away.

In the past it was about Iran closing the Persian Gulf and the Straight of Hormuz, but a drone with SATCOM and electro-optical seeker can attack ships thousands of km away from Iran's/Lebanon's/Yemen's/Iraq's borders effectively hitting ships in:
1) Eastern Mediterranean
2) Suez Canal
3) Red Sea
4) Straight of Bab-el Mandeb
5) Gulf of Aden
6) Persian Gulf
7) Straight of Hormuz
8) Arabian Sea

During the day there are nearly 1500-2000 ships in those areas

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Also IRGC talks about closing the Straight of Gibraltar which is 20% of global maritime trade and 80% of EU's oil and gas imports.

How can they close the Straight of Gibraltar? Maybe they can attack ships in the narrow (14km wide) Straight of Gibraltar by launching drones from secret bases in Libya (1600km distance)? Or any other possibilities?

 

[Persian Gulf]

Shahed-238 confirmed to be in use by Russian forces in Ukraine

 

[Flames In The Desert]

Shahed-238 confirmed to be in use by Russian forces in Ukraine

 

[strkyer1982]

From design -> Production -> To Combat zone is very short span of time.

 

[Messerschmitt]