How Iran Built One of Modern Warfare's Most Effective Weapons
Summary
Iran developed the Shahed-136 drone, a low-cost "suicide" drone used to attack enemy targets by flying into them. This drone is effective because it is cheap, easy to produce, and can overwhelm expensive air defenses by sheer numbers. Its design traces back to Cold War-era technology from Germany and Israel, but Iran added modern guidance systems to improve it.Key Facts
- The Shahed-136 drone costs between $7,000 and $50,000 each, much cheaper than typical missile strikes.
- It is called a "loitering munition" or "kamikaze drone" because it waits near the target and then crashes into it to cause damage.
- The drone uses satellite navigation like GPS to find targets, instead of detecting radar emissions.
- The drone was developed by Iran’s IRGC-linked Shahed Aviation Industries.
- Its design is based on earlier projects, like West Germany’s DAR drone and Israel’s Harpy drone.
- Iran likely improved the drone after acquiring Israeli models used in Syria.
- Countries like Russia are using copies of the Shahed-136 in conflicts like the war in Ukraine.
- The drone forces opponents to spend expensive interceptors to stop cheap, mass-produced drones.
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