The Oryx Handbook Of Iranian Drones

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The Islamic Republic of Iran was one of the first countries in the world to operationally deploy unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980 to 1988. Consisting of radio-controlled Mohajer-1s armed with up to six RPG-7, Iran's drone arsenal has since expanded to include copies of the U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel, PGM-toting (stealth) UCAVs and highly accurate loitering muntions. These types set the stage for an increasingly effective replication of legacy aerial assets, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by an increasing number of customers for Iranian drone designs.

The goal of this list is to comprehensively catalogue Iran's current inventory of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their armament. In an effort to streamline the list and avoid unnecessary confusion, this list only includes military drones associated with Iran's defence industry or military-grade UAVs with at least some chance of entering service. The part within the apostrophes refers to other designations or an unofficial designation. Dubious claims are referred to as ''claimed to be capable''.

(Click on the drones and their armament to get a picture of them)

Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - Operational

Ababil-2 ''Ababil-S or Ababil-R'' Three configurations: (2) (3, supplied to Tajikistan)
Early Ababil-3 ''AB-3 or Pahpad'' Two configurations: (2) (Supplied to Iraq and Sudan as ''Zagil III-B'')
Late Ababil-3 ''AB-3 or Pahpad''
Bina
Farpad
Yazdan
''PXHAWK'' (Supplied to the PMF in Iraq. Limited to no service in Iran)
Mohajer-2 (Supplied to Venezuela as ''Arpia'', the LNA in Libya and Hizbullah in Lebanon)
Mohajer-2N Two configurations: (2) (Supplied to Venezuela as ''ASNU-100'')
Mohajer-4 Two configurations: (2)
Mohajer-4B Sadegh ''M4-200''
Mohajem-92 (Supplied to Iraq as ''Raqeep or Raqib'')
Oghab-1 (Supplied to the PMF in Iraq)
Shahed 121 Three configurations: (2) (3)
Shahed 161 Two configurations: (2, cloud seeding variant ''Samavat'') (Based on U.S. RQ-170 technology)
Yasir ''Sayed-2'' (Based on the U.S. Scan Eagle) (Supplied to the PMF in Iraq)
Sayeh ''Kavosh'' Two configurations: (2) Indigenous copy of the U.S. Scan Eagle)
Unknown UAV (1) (Supplied to the Houthis in Yemen as ''Samad-1'', to Hizbullah in Lebanon and to Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Limited service in Iran)
Unknown UAV (2) Two configurations: (2) (Based on the U.S. RQ-21 Blackjack) (Also supplied to the Houthis in Yemen as ''Mersad-1'' and ''Mersad-2'')

Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - Prototypes

Babalan
Behrouz
Chamrosh ''Taregh''
Faraz-II
Faraz-2 ''Faraz-102'' (Claimed to be a dual-capable as a suicide drone)
Faraz-3 ''Sahand'' Two configurations: (2)
Faraz-220
Faraz-230
Mohajer-3 ''Dorna''
Nasir-1
Nasir-2
Robin
Shahed 125 (Based on the U.S. RQ-7)
Shahed 171 ''Simorgh'' (Based on the U.S. RQ-170)
V.C.T.U 133 Prototype: (1)
Tareqh
Unknown UAV (1)
Unknown UAV (2)
Unknown UAV (3)
Unknown UAV (4) Two configurations: (2) (Claimed to carry a SAR or jamming payload)
Unknown UAV (5) (Claimed to be a dual-capable as a suicide drone)

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles - Operational

Ababil-3 (Can be armed with two Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs or two Almas-1/2 ATGMs)
Ababil-4 (Can be armed with two Almas-1/2 ATGMs)
Ababil-5 (Can be armed with six Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs or four Almas-1/2 ATGMs)
Hamaseh Prototype: (1) (Can be armed with two Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs or two Shafagh AGMs)
Mohajer-6 ''M6'' (Can be armed with four Ghaem-1, 5 and 9, Sadid-345 or Unknown Sadid PGMs, or four Almas-1/2 AGTMs or four Hydra 70/Fadak 80 (guided) rocket pods) (Supplied to the PMF in Iraq, to Ethiopia and Russia)
Shahed 123 ''HESA-100'' Two configurations: (2) (Based on Israeli Hermes 200) (Can be armed with two Sadid-345 PGMs)
Shahed 129 Two configurations: (2) (Can be armed with up to four Sadid-1 ATGMs or four Sadid-345 and Unknown Sadid PGMs)
Shahed 181 ''Saegheh-2'' (Can be armed with up to four Sadid-345 PGMs) Prototype: (1) (Based on U.S. RQ-170 technology)
Shahed 191 ''Saegheh-2'' (Can be armed with two Sadid-345 PGMs) Prototype: (1) (Based on RQ-170 technology)
Kaman-12 (Can be armed with four Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs, or four Akhgar AGMs, or four Almas-1/2 ATGMs, or two unknown gilde bombs, or four Hydra 70/Fadak 80 (guided) rocket pods or two types of unknown ECM pods: (1) (2))
Kaman-22 (Can be armed with six Ghaem-1, 5 and 9, or Sadid-1 or two GBU-12 PGMs, or four Shafaq-3/4 AGMs, or four Balaban or six unknown glide bombs, or one Heidar-1 cruise missile or one AN/ALQ-101 or one unknown ECM pod: (1))
Karrar 'Karrar IV, 'Hadaf-1 or Ababil-Jet'' (Can be armed with one minigun, or one dumb bomb, or one cluster bomb, or one Balaban, Ra'ad-301, Yasin or two types of unknown glide bombs: (1) (2), or one Shafaq-3/4 or one unknown type of AGM, or one GBU-12 PGM, or two C-701 AShMs, or one AIM-9P or Azarakhsh AAM)
Fotros (Can be armed with up to six Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs, or four Almas-1/2 AGTMs, or four Ghaem-114 AGMs or one Heidar-1 cruise missile)
Unknown UCAV (1) (Can be armed with two unguided bombs) (Supplied to Houthi militants in Yemen as ''Samad-4''. No service in Iran)

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles - Prototypes

Mohajer-2 (Can be armed with twelve RPGs)
Naseh (Claimed to be capable of carrying four Misagh-2 MANPADS)
Sadegh-1 ''QOM-1'' (Claimed to be capable of carrying two Misagh-2 MANPADS)
Saegheh-1 (Claimed to be capable of carrying four Sadid-1 PGMs)
Sarir ''H-110'' (Claimed to be capable of carrying two Misagh-2 MANPADS)
Shahed 121 (Can be armed with one Sadid-1 PGM)
Shahed 125 (Claimed to be capable of carrying two Hydra 70 rockets)
Shahed 149 ''Gaza'' (Capable of carrying nearly all types of guided armament currently in Iranian service)
Shahed 171 ''Simorgh'' (Claimed to be capable of carrying four Sadid-345 PGMs) (Based on the U.S. RQ-170)
Mobin (Claimed to be capable of carrying guided bombs)
Sejjil (Claimed to be capable of carrying up to two guided bombs)
Unknown UCAV (1) (Armed with one swarm loitering munition)
Unknown VTOL UCAV (1) (Armed with a 12.7mm gun pod)
Unknown VTOL UCAV (2) (Armed with one mortar round)
Unknown VTOL UCAV (3) (Armed with up to four mortar rounds)
Unknown VTOL UCAV (4) (Armed with up to six mortar rounds)

Loitering Munitions - Operational

Ababil-2T Six configurations: (2, supplied to Tajikistan) (3, supplied to Hizbullah in Lebanon) (4, supplied to the Houthis in Yemen as '''Qasef-1'' and to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza) (5, supplied to the Houthis in Yemen as Qasef-2K) (6, supplied to Hamas in Gaza as Shihab)
Karrar ''Hadaf-1 or Ababil-Jet''
Lark ''Shekarchi, Toophan-2 or Chamran-II''
Raad-85 ''Ra'ad-85'' (Uses Mohajer-2 Airframe)
Raad-85 ''Ra'ad-85'' (Uses Saegheh Airframe)
Kian ''Arash''
Meraj-521
Zoubin (Based on the Polish WB Electronics Warmate)
Omid (Based on the Israeli IAI Harop)
Shahed-131 (Supplied to Russia as ''Geran-1'' and the PMF in Iraq as ''Murad-6'')
Shahed-136 (Supplied to Russia as ''Geran-2'' and the Houthis in Yemen as ''Wa'aed'')
Unknown Loitering Munition (1) (Supplied to the Houthis in Yemen as ''Khatif-1''. Limited to no service in Iran)
Unknown Loitering Munition (2) (Supplied to the PMF in Iraq as ''Murad-5'', Hamas in Gaza, Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza as ''Jenin'', and the Houthis in Yemen as ''Khatif-2''. Limited to no service in Iran)
Unknown Loitering Munition (3) (Supplied to the Houthi militants in Yemen as 'Samad-2'. Limited to no service in Iran)
Unknown Loitering Munition (4) (Supplied to the Houthis in Yemen as 'Samad-3'. Limited to no service in Iran)
Unknown Loitering Munition (5) (Supplied to the Houthis in Yemen as ''Shihab'. Limited to no service in Iran)
Unknown Loitering Munition (6)

Loitering Munitions - Prototypes

Target Drones

MQM-36 Shelduck
MQM-107A Streaker (Locally produced examples known as Naseh)
Ababil-B Two configurations: (2, discovered in Syria, but of Iranian design)
Ababil-CII
Amin
AMIQO AT-2/3
AMIQO JAT-4
Baaz
Chabokpar
Chukar II
Delta
Hadaf-3000
Hazem-II ''Meraj-214''
Homa ''Homa A''
Karrar ''Hadaf-1 or Ababil-Jet'' Two configurations: (2)
Khodkar ''QT-33A''
Kian-1
Kian-2
Saegheh-1
Saegheh-2
Shahin ''Shaheen''
Talash-I
Unknown Target Drone (1)
Unknown Target Drone (2)
Unknown Target Drone (3)
Unknown Target Drone (4)
Unknown Target Drone (5)
Unknown Target Drone (6)
Unknown Target Drone (7)
Unknown Target Drone (8)
Unknown Target Drone (9) (Supplied to Syria. Limited to no service in Iran)

UAV Helicopters

Oghab ''Nazer'' Two configurations: (2)
Unknown UAV Helicopter

Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Foreign Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Recovered By Iran

AAI Aerosonde [United States] (Recover date unknown)
Desert Hawk [United States] (Presumably recovered by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
Desert Hawk III [United States] (Presumably recovered by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
MQ-1A Predator [United States] (Recover date unknown)
RQ-4A Global Hawk BAMS-D [United States] (Parts recovered after being shot down over the Strait of Hormuz in June 2019)
RQ-7 Shadow [United States] (Presumably recovered by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
RQ-11 Raven [United States] (Presumably recovered by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
RQ-170 Sentinel "The Beast of Kandahar" [United States] (Recovered in December 2011)
Phoenix [Great Britain] (Parts recovered. Presumably recovered by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
Scan Eagle [United States] (One recovered in December 2014 and another at an unknown date)
Hermes 200 [Azerbaijan] (Recovered in August 2014)
IAI Harop [Azerbaijan] (Several crashed inside Iran during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War)