Shahed Saegheh
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. 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] VariantsThe specifications for the Saegheh are unknown, but it is believed to have a wingspan around 6–7 meters.[9] Saegheh-1The 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-2Later 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 militant organization.[citation needed] Propeller-powered variantIn 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.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] Specifications (Shahed 191)Data from Tasnim News (2020)[12] and Иранский ударный БЛА "Shahed-191" (2019)[13] General characteristics
Performance
ArmamentsOperatorsSee alsoRelated developmentAircraft of comparable role, configuration and eraOthersReferences
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