What are Iranian Shahed drones — and why are they everyone's problem
- This past weekend, more than 1,000 Shahed drones struck Gulf neighbours, hitting hotels, residential buildings and U.S. and U.K. military bases, with footage showing a Shahed-136 hitting the Grand Air Hotel, Bahrain.
- Russia used Shahed swarms in 2022, marking their combat debut, after Tehran supplied thousands to Moscow and now redeploys those swarm tactics in the Middle East.
- The Shahed-136 measures 3.5 meters long with a 2.5 meter wingspan, many are propeller-driven with a shrill buzz, and ranges vary by model from around 900 km to up to 2,500 kilometres carrying a 50 kilogram warhead.
- The economics of defence are skewed when expensive interceptors counter cheap Shaheds, as Iran’s mass launches can bankrupt a billion-dollar air-defence grid while threatening U.S. bases and oil refineries.
- Vladislav Vlasiuk urged more action, saying 'I would say that this is not too late now, but we have to really, really engage in this issue', while officials call for tighter export controls and sanctions, and Zelensky offers to send experts to allies.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Iran is one of the largest military powers worldwide, occupying position 14 of the weapons ranking. Some estimates suggest that it could have a huge arsenal of drones, having about 80,000 UAVs with its own production capacity, including manufacturing hundreds of Shahed-type drones daily. Hundreds of Shahed-136 drones were launched in April 2024 to attack Israel. In addition, it is produced under license in Russia under the name Geran-2 and used …
Following the example of Russia in Ukraine, Tehran bets on the kamikaze drones to wear out its rivals
Teerão's response to attacks by the US and Israel is being made with Shahed-136 drones. They are produced by Iran, with lower costs than the missions.
‘The AK-47 of the skies’: How Iran’s cheap drones are reshaping this war
Discover how Iran's cost-effective drones, dubbed the 'AK-47 of the skies,' are reshaping modern warfare by overwhelming advanced air defenses and stretching military budgets thin. Explore the strategic impact of these unmanned aerial vehicles in the Gulf region and beyond.
They have a range of about 2000 kilometers, can carry up to 50 kilos of explosives and their low coast ($50,000) have made them Iran's preferred weapon The noisy Shahed 136 drones manufactured by Iran, with delta wings and a cost of $50,000, have long been an unwanted presence in the skies of Ukraine. Now, in recent hours, hundreds of such characteristic weapons have struck and continue to attack Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and the…
Those that the country is using in the war in the Middle East are simple and relatively cheap to produce, and even Russia has copied them
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