The Oryx Handbook of Iranian Drones

By Stijn Mitzer

The goal of this list is to comprehensively catalogue Iran's past and 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.

Notes:

- If several configurations of a drone with one designation are known, they are added as such.

- The part within the apostrophes refers to other designations or an unofficial designation.

- UAVs that did not enter service or have yet to enter service are located in the prototype category.

- When a type is dual-capable, it is added in both respective categories.

- Dubious claims are referred to as ''claimed to be capable''.

- The foreign service section of this handbook only includes UAVs confirmed to be in service with a state or non-state actor other than Iran, not those operated by Iranian personnel inside Syria or elsewhere.

Although a great deal of effort has been put into ensuring the accuracy of this list, any updates or corrections to this list are most welcome.

(Click on the equipment to get a picture of them in Iranian service)

Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - Operational

• Early Ababil-3 ''AB-3 or Pahpad'' Two configurations: (2)
• Late Ababil-3 ''AB-3 or Pahpad''
• Farpad
• Hamaseh Prototype: (1)
• Mohajer-1 (Believed to have been decommissioned)
• Early Mohajer-2
• Late Mohajer-2 Three configurations: (2) (3)
• Mohajer-2N Two configurations: (2)
• Mohajer-4 Two configurations: (2)  
• Mohajer-4B Sadegh ''Sadiq''
• Mohajer-6
• Oghab-1
• ''Samad-1''
•  Shahed 121 Three configurations: (2) (3) Prototype: (1)
•  Shahed 123 ''HESA-100'' Two configurations: (2, indigenous copy of the Israeli Hermes 200)
• Shahed 129 Three configurations: (2) (3, for Navy)
• Shahed 191 ''Saegheh-2'' Prototypes: (1) (2) (Based on U.S. RQ-170 technology)
• Yasir ''Sayed-2'' (Based on U.S. Scan Eagle drone technology)
• Sayeh ''Kavosh'' Indigenous copy of the U.S. Scan Eagle) 

Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - Prototypes

• Ababil-S ''Ababil-R
• Babalan
• 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
• Fotros
• Mohajem-92 ''Raqib'' 
• Mohajer-3 ''Dorna''
• Nasir-1
• Nasir-2
• Raven
• Robin
• Shahed 125 (Indigenous copy of the U.S. RQ-7 Shadow)
• Shahed 171 ''Simorgh'' (Based on U.S. RQ-170 technology)
• V.C.T.U 133 Prototype: (1)
• Unknown UAV (1)
• Unknown UAV (2)
• Unknown UAV (3) Two configurations: (2) (Claimed to carry a SAR or jamming payload)
• Unknown UAV (4) (Claimed to be a dual-capable as a suicide drone)

 

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles - Operational

• Ababil-3 (Armed with two Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs)
• Hamaseh (Armed with two Shafagh AGMs and Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs)
• Mohajer-6 (Armed with two Ghaem-1, 5 and 9 PGMs)
• Shahed 123 Two configurations: (2) (Armed with two Sadid-345 PGMs)
• Shahed 129 Two configurations: (2) (Armed with up to four Sadid-1 ATGMs and Sadid-345 PGMs) 
• Shahed 191 ''Saegheh-2'' (Armed with two Sadid-345 PGMs) Prototypes: (1) (2) (Based on RQ-170 technology)
• Unknown Propeller-powered Shahed/Saegheh (Armed with up to four Sadid-345 PGMs) Prototypes: (1) (2) (3) (Based on U.S. RQ-170 technology) 

 

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles - Prototypes

• Fotros (Armed with two unknown missiles)
• Mohajer-1 (Armed with six RPGs)
• Mohajer-2 (Armed with twelve RPGs)
• Mohajer-4 (Claimed to be capable of carrying two Hydra 70 rockets)
• MQM-107A Streaker (Claimed to be capable of carrying four Misagh-2 MANPADS) 
• Sadegh-1 ''QOM-1'' (Armed with two Misagh-2 MANPADS)
• Karrar ''Hadaf-1 or Ababil-Jet'' (Armed with Bombs, AShMs, AGMs, Balaban and Yasin guided bombs)
• Kaman-12 (Claimed to be armed with Akhgar air-to-ground missiles)
• Sarir ''H-110'' (Armed with two Misagh-2 MANPADS)
• Sejjil (Claimed to be capable of carrying two glide bombs)
• Shahed 121 (Armed with one Sadid-1 ATGM)
• Shahed 125 (Claimed to be capable of carrying two Hydra 70 rockets)
• Saegheh-1 Two configurations: (2) (Claimed to be capable of carrying four Sadid-1 PGMs)
• Shahed 171 ''Simorgh'' (Claimed to be capable of carrying four Sadid-345 PGMs) Prototypes: (1) (Based on U.S. RQ-170 technology)
• Unknown UCAV Helicopter (Armed with a 12.7mm gun pod) 

Loitering Munitions

• Ababil-T Three configurations: (2) (3)
• Farpad  
• Karrar ''Hadaf-1 or Ababil-Jet''
• Lark ''Shekarchi, Toophan-2 or Chamran-II''
• ''Samad-2''
• ''Samad-3''
• Raad-85 ''Ra'ad-85''
• ''Qasef-2''
• ''Qasef-2K''
• Unknown Loitering Munition (Used in the 2019 Abqaiq–Khurais attack on Saudi Arabia)

 

Target Drones

• MQM-36 Shelduck
• MQM-107A Streaker
• Ababil-B Two configurations: (2, discovered in Syria, but of Iranian design)
• Ababil-CII
• AMIQO AT-2
• AMIQO AT-3
• AMIQO JAT-4
• Baaz
• Chabokpar
• Chukar II
• Delta
• Hadaf-3000
• Hazem-II ''Haazem-II''
• Homa ''Homa A''
• Karrar ''Hadaf-1 or Ababil-Jet'' Two configurations: (2)
• Khodkar ''QT-33A''
• Kian-1
• Kian-2 (Claimed to be a dual-capable as a suicide drone)
• Naser
• 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)
• Unknown Target Drone (10) (Discovered in Syria, but of Iranian design)

UAV Helicopters

• Oghab ''Nazer'' Two configurations: (2)
• Unknown UAV Helicopter (1)
• Unknown UAV Helicopter (2)
• Unknown UAV Helicopter (3)
• Unknown UAV Helicopter (4)
• Unknown UAV Helicopter (5)

 

Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

• Pelican-2
• Unknown VTOL UAV (1)
• Unknown VTOL UAV (2)
• Unknown VTOL UAV (3)
• Unknown VTOL UAV (4)
• Unknown VTOL UAV (5)

 

Documented But Not Yet Seen UAVs

• Hazem-I ''Haazem-I'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Hazem-III ''Haazem-III'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Homa ''Homa B'' (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Hodhod-3 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Nasr-1001 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Orooj-4 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Piroozi-8 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Qaem (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Shahed-1 (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Siraf (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Sofreh Mahi (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Tizpar (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Zohal (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Roham VTOL (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)
• Koker-1 VTOL (Documented by a few sources, not yet seen)

 

Iranian UAVs in Foreign Service

• Ababil-B Two configurations: (2, discovered in Syria, but of Iranian design) 
• Early Ababil-3 ''AB-3 or Pahpad'' (Exported to Iraq and Sudan ''Zagil III-B'')
• Mohajer-2 (Exported to Venezuela ''Arpia'', the LNA in Libya and Hizbullah in Lebanon)
• ''Samad-1'' (Supplied to Houthi militants in Yemen and Hizbullah in Lebanon)
• ''Samad-2'' (Supplied to Houthi militants in Yemen)
• ''Samad-3'' (Supplied to Houthi militants in Yemen)
• Ababil-T (Supplied to Houthi militants in Yemen ''Qasef-2 and 2K'' and Hizbullah in Lebanon ''Mirsad-1'')
• Oghab-1 (Supplied to Shiite militants in Iraq)
• Yasir ''Sayed-2'' (Supplied to Shiite militants in Iraq and Hizbullah in Lebanon [reported])
• Unknown Target Drone (10) (Discovered in Syria, but of Iranian design)

 

Captured UAVs

• AAI Aerosonde [United States] (Capture date or truthfulness of claim unknown)
• Desert Hawk [United States] (Presumably captured by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
• Desert Hawk III [United States] (Presumably captured by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
• Hermes 200 [Israel or Azerbaijan] (Captured in August 2014)
• MQ-1A Predator [United States] (Capture date unknown)
• RQ-7 Shadow [United States] (Badly damaged. Presumably captured by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
• RQ-11 Raven [United States] (Presumably captured by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
• RQ-170 Sentinel "The Beast of Kandahar" [United States] (Captured in December 2011) 
• Phoenix [Great Britain] (Parts recovered. Presumably captured by Iran-affiliated militias in Syria or Iraq)
• Scan Eagle [United States] (Captured in December 2014 and another with an unknown capture date)

Special thanks to Adam Rawnsley and Yuri Lyamin.

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