Description
Shahed 136 Kamikaze Drone
The HESA Shahed 136 is an Iranian kamikaze drone designed for attacking ground targets from a distance. It is a so-called kamikaze drone because it acts as a projectile alongside the warhead it carries. After the engaging target, it is destroyed.
The HESA Shahed 136 was developed by HESA as a loitering munition autonomous swarm pusher-prop aerial drone. Translated from Persian, it means Witness 136.
The drone is designed as a flying wing with tip fence-type winglets. The winglet’s length is approximately 2.5 meters, and its wingspan of 3.5 meters. The nose section contains the warhead as well as the needed optics for a precision attack. The HESA Shahed 136 is armed with a warhead that weighs around 200 kg. The engine behind the drone seems to be a piston engine, a rocket booster used for the initial launch, with a speed of about 185 km/h.
The engine is seated at the rear of the fuselage and drives a two-bladed propeller in a “pusher” arrangement. The fuselage is centralized and blended into the wing members to produce an elegant shape.
Hesa Shahed 136 drones.
Technical specifications
| Country of origin: | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Designer / Manufacturer: | Shahed Aviation Industries / HESA |
| Role: | Loitering munition |
| Status: | In-service since 2021 (Iran) |
| Unit cost: | Unknown, various estimates from $20,000 to €50,000 each |
| Mass: | 200 kg (440 lb) |
| Length: | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Warhead weight: | 40 kg (88 lb) |
| Engine: | MD-550 piston engine |
| Wingspan: | 2.5 m (8.2 ft) |
| Operational range: | 1,800–2,500 km (1,118–1,553 mi) |
| Maximum speed: | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Guidance system: | Autonomous GLONASS (upgraded Russian version) |
| Launch platform: | Rocket Assisted Take Off (RATO) |
