Overview of the Iranian Shahed Drone
In a time when warfare is dictated by high-tech devices, the emergence of Iranian Shahed drones is turning a new page in military strategy. These are low-cost, highly effective suicide drones that have already made a name for themselves in some of the hottest conflict zones around the world. The Shahed family, especially the 136 model, is being used in numbers, in part because their price tag of around $50K makes them a cheap hit and a poor man’s cruise missile. By contrast, if you want to talk truly working drones, you’re looking at the U.S. Reaper, which is a $30 million+ piece of hardware.
The real scary thing when it comes to modern drone warfare is when you use them in numbers. A salvo of 10 to 20 drones launched against a target can be expected to do serious damage to whatever it is they’re coming after. Iranian allies, like the Houthis in Yemen, have already started to test-drive these bad boys against domestic targets. They can also do maritime strikes, meaning cruise missile-like drone hits against targets on the water. You can expect plenty of Iranian-proxy warfare on/in/against/whatever scenario strikes anyone’s imagination. While the Houthis’ use of these drone attacks on Saudi Arabia has been the main event thus far, by no means has that been the only show in town.
Design and Production Advantages
Several models are included in the Shahed drone family, such as the Shahed 131, 136, and the newest addition, the Shahed 238, which boasts jet propulsion. The Shahed 136 is particularly simple in design, being built from commercially available parts and intended for one-time use. But it and other Shahed models have some not-so-simple features, including low-altitude operation and a narrow target window that help them evade traditional air defense systems.
Their lack of speed and distinctive sound, on the other hand, make them somewhat vulnerable to simpler air defense methods than other contemporary systems. The 136, in this regard, is a known quantity because Ukrainian forces have captured several of them and shared details of their design. The drones have a routing “S” pattern that allows them to evade some kinds of radar. When the Shahed 136 is operating, you can hear it. The 136, at least, has been described as sounding like a giant leaf blower—in the precision-strike context, an eerie sound to hear if you’re in the part of Ukraine that the drone is coming toward.
Impact on Proxy Warfare and Global Threats
Iran’s Shahed drones are significantly cheaper to produce than most Western military systems, allowing Tehran to use them as a massed, overwhelming force against its enemies. By using Shahed drones, Iran can engage in proxy warfare across the region without risking direct U.S. retaliation. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by Washington, of course. The effectiveness of the drones in recent U.S. adversary engagements – from the hapless Houthi rebels in Yemen to the embattled Russian Army in Ukraine – has sparked counter-drone investment by the U.S. and its allied militaries.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. watchdog for weapons of mass destruction has warned that drone-use trends observed in the past couple of years could lead to “unprecedented” outcomes for inhumane warfare and for civilian safety in conflict zones.
Countermeasures and Future Developments
Some critics claim that the Shahed drone’s vulnerabilities, like its slow speed and loud operation, limit its effectiveness. It’s true that even basic air defense systems have been relatively successful against these drones. But when launched in large formations, the drones can still saturate the defense and get some through. Even more troubling, the Iranians are using the experience gained in making the Shahed family of drones to make them better and tougher with each model.
By not characterizing the Shahed family of drones as a clear and present danger, U.S. leaders run the risk of underestimating the future potential for conflict and the kinds of problems worldwide that the use of these drones promises. The Shahed drones illustrate a profound shift in modern warfare that upends traditional military thinking. These Iranian-made flying machines pack a wallop for their price—a fraction of what most missiles and bombs cost—and are stupid-simple to produce. Unlike a lot of contemporary weaponry, they require no special assembly and yield instant results. Furthermore, they can be and have been used in direct conflict with Israel, in a manner that gives Tehran a plausible way to deny its part in wars where it doesn’t want to be caught.