Shahed 129

Shahed 129
The second generation Shahed 129.
Role Combat / Intelligence / Surveillance / Reconnaissance (CISR)[1]
National origin Iran
Manufacturer Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation (HESA)[2]
Designer Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center[3]
First flight Spring 2012[3]
Introduction September 2013
Status In service, in production
Primary user Iran
Produced 2012–present
Number built +42[3]
Developed from Shahed 123[3]
Developed into Shahed 149 Gaza[4]

The Shahed 129 (Persian: شاهد ۱۲۹, English: "witness";[5] sometimes S129) is an Iranian single-engine medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed by Shahed Aviation Industries for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).[6] The Shahed 129 is capable of combat and reconnaissance missions and has an endurance of 24 hours; it is similar in size, shape and role to the American MQ-1 Predator[7] and is widely considered as one of the most capable drones in Iranian service.

The UAV has been used for airstrikes in the Syrian Civil War and for border patrol on Iran's eastern border.[3] As of 2017 the Shahed 129 and Saegheh are expected to form the backbone of Iran's high-end UAV fleet for at least the next decade.[3]

  1. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (14 February 2018). "The Military Balance 2018". The Military Balance. 118. Routledge.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference a1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference a2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "اسرائیل: ایران از قشم و چابهار عملیات دریایی و پهپادی می‌کند". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  5. ^ Segura, Cristian (12 October 2022). "Iranian 'suicide' drones: Russia's new favorite weapon in Ukraine war". EL PAÍS English Edition. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Iran". RUSI.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference a3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).