Iran Shahed drones wreak Havoc in Ukraine
Putin uses Shahed drones to bleed Ukraine
Why are shaheed drones so difficult to intercept?
Iranian made drones have built a reputation for themselves in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. While Iranian drones are not very technologically sophisticated Moscow used them to devastating effect in Ukraine .The frequent use of Iranian drones comes as Russia cruise missile inventories have reportedly dwindled .
However Ukraine has also been ramping up its air defense tactics with both western-supplied weapons and their homegrown tactics . Ukraine reported that it destroyed 45 Shahed drones on January 1, 2013. Report say 13 drones were reportedly shot down by the end of 2022 and 32 more in the following year.
What Are Iranian Shahed 136 Drone?
Report say that Iran has been a revolutionary in the UAV industry for many years . The country has assumed a prominent role as an emerging drone superpower in the middle east. Iranian Kamikaze drones formally named “Geranium 2” in Russian military service are fired from various air , sea and land platform.
In other cases , Iranian drones utilise real-time GPS coordinates for precise and accurate targeting . Russia has upgraded the accuracy of its Shahed-136 drones by installing Glonass navigation equipment . According to Russian media their effective range his grown from roughly 170 to 200 km to approximately 300 km.However Russia modifications has reportedly decreased the warhead carrying capacity of the drone.
Major Advantages Of Iranian Shahed Drones
It is an incredibly small low-flying , slow-moving drone that flies like a model aeroplane than a military weapon . Due to its small size and slow speed it is challenging to detect with radar or other electro-optical equipment . The drone is made of plastic and that also makes it difficult to detect on the radar. Report says that a modest piston engine drives the Shahed 136 wooden propeller .
Another big advantage of these drones over cruise missiles is their cost-effectiveness . The first reported use of Kamikaze drones was seen in 2020 during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan . According to a Ukrainian study on Iranian drones the explosive-laden , 40 kg Shahed is only effective against fixed non-moving targets .
Disadvantages Of Iranian Shahed Drones
While Shahed drones are difficult to detect its slow speed makes it easy to shoot down . The Shahed-136 is susceptible to getting lost due to its reliance on satellite navigation which is sensitive to interference . The Shahed-136 can be heard from many km away as it employs a Chinese MD550 engine that is excessively noisy . The drone acoustic signature has also been compared to motorcycles or lawnmowers earning the title mopeds.
Has Iran Supplied Shaheds To North Korea ?
Recent report suggest that North Korea might also be using Iranian drones . The reports come after five North Korean drones penetrated South Korean airspace on Dec 26 . While the south Korean air force scrambled jets and helicopter and reportedly chased the invaders not was shot down .
Report suggest that the scramble drill lasted for five hours and no known North Korean drone has the range or endurance to stay in the air for that long . However no direct proof exists that North Korea actually used Iranian drones .
0 Comments