"Iran unveils 'indigenous' drone" Topic

Looks vaguely familiar. Robert

"The state media has reported that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has developed a locally made unmanned drone. The drone is called The Shahed (Witness) 129 and has a range of 2,000km, thus making it possible to reach a large part of the region. The drone can be used for reconnaissance and combat missions and can also be loaded with bombs and missiles."

link

correct link: link

Interesting. I am sure it is largely copied, but that is beside the point.

It is inevitable that the US will lose its virtual monopoly on drone tech soon enough, and everyone will have them. So the next step of drone evolution will mirror the evolution of military aircraft. First observer drones, then something to knock down enemy observer drones. Prepare for fighter drones.

I am sure the USAF already has many contingency plans to knock down enemy drones and these plans will probably be stepped up a little now.

"Unmanned drone", as opposed to a "manned drone"…I see a chance for martyrdom being missed.

Kinda looks like a model to me in the second photo . So how far behind is this compared to other drones out there? Robert

Of course it looks like they aren't up to the pigeon spy drone stage LOL. Robert

Probably more RC plane then Drone.

Nonetheless, useful.

They've been seen in Syria helping the Syrian Army target their artillery.

So they're also gaining some valuable experience in using them.

Looks like the Elbit Systems H-450. Cannot see much of a sensor suite. With a 2,000 km range it must have a 10 story high Ground Data Terminal/Satellite link/rebro system and a new type of engine/fuel.

Tally Ho!

So, what happens if you explode a chaff bomb or EMP weapon in their close vicinity? Do they go out of control and crash?

Why yes it does a little nickinsomerset. Robert

This is stated as a shot of the Shahed (Witness) 129 too. Robert

There are rumors that it is based on a RQ-170 Sentinel claimed to have shot down. Robert

It does look more like a Watchkeeper WK450 UAV though. Robert

link

Does seem to have a watchkeeper ancestory.

Not suprising that they are being copied seeing as NATO lost 24 in Kosovo some of which were never recovered (noted that Watchkeeper and others are newer additions). Israel has lost a handful over Syria and the region as well.

In terms of range, most UAV have this range, theoretically, Speed x Endurance gives you a possible circle that is only then reduced by the control system. The USAF tier system open paper link gives an idea of what the US capable of so taking the ideas forward isn't hard. Lease a bit of Chinese Satcom payload and away you go

Watchkeeper is a loosely based on the H-450 we should have been deployed 2 years ago, but still trialing down at Parc Abaporth and I am in semi-retirement!

We had a bad start in Kosovo with Phoenix, mainly due to it thinking it was at sea level so it would crash in an attempt to gain the planned mission altitude! But then no one in their right mind would want to copy Phoenix!

Tally Ho!

"Israel has lost a handful over Syria and the region as well."
This would make sense as to the similarity and the cooperation of the Syrians. Robert

Of course Watchkeeper is crewed by dogs, one for each sensor!

Tally Ho!

Certainly gives it a sense of scale. Robert

Not sure if it's this one, or another similar one, but Israel just shot one down over their country.

They believe it may have been launched by Hezbollah, from Lebanon, and that the drone is of Iranian manufacture. Apparently, it crossed into Israel from the Gaza region.

The Israelis are staging mock air attacks over southern Lebanon today, breaking the sound barrier, in order to show their displeasure.

Wouldn't surprise me if it was an Iranian one. Lebanon would be a good place to launch one. Robert

Nick,

Are you involved with the Watchkeeper trials unit at Aberporth? I was talking to one of the Gunners there a few weeks ago (I run the cadet unit at Aberporth).

R Mark,

not any more, I retired last October, my dogs are eyeing a giant bone at the bespoke trg facility, Larkhill!

Tally Ho!

Impeccable timing, as I was taken on at Aberporth last October! Give me a shout for a game if you're ever back this way.

"The Israeli Air Force shot down an unidentified aerial vehicle that penetrated Israel's airspace on Saturday. IDF forces shot down the drone over the Negev, south of Mount Hebron.

The IDF said Saturday that the drone arrived in Israel from the west after flying over the Mediterranean and the Gaza Strip. It said the incident is under investigation.

After the drone traveled east some 35 miles (56 km) across Israel's southern Negev desert, the drone was shot down above a forest in an unpopulated area near the border with the West Bank, the IDF spokesperson said.

The estimation from within Israel's security establishment is that the UAV was operated by Hezbollah, and flew south over the Mediterranean sea before breaching Israeli airspace from the south."

link

Scratch one Iranian Drone!
link

Drones work great when you have air superiority or don't need to worry about the opposition air force. Something tells me Israel is not one of those places.

Out of curiosity, what does a small drone cost? How about a Sidewinder missile?

From what I have read so far UAV can range in cost from a few thousand dollars to tens of millions of dollars. I guess depending on it's size and where or whom you get it from.And I have seen a Hellfire can cost 60-70,000 dollars each and a unit cost of a AIM-9X Sidewinder missile for $471,000. USD Robert

Not sure how much it costs the Iranians. Robert

"Hezbollah says sent Iranian-built drone over Israel
by Staff Writers
Beirut (AFP) Oct 11, 2012

The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah boasted Thursday that his Shiite militant group sent a sophisticated unmanned drone over Israel last week, saying the device was built by the Jewish state's archfoe Iran.

Hassan Nasrallah's acknowledgement of the drone which Israel shot down on October 6 came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed at Hezbollah and vowed to defend his country against further "threats."

"A sophisticated reconnaissance aircraft was sent from Lebanese territory … and travelled hundreds of kilometres (miles) over the sea before crossing enemy lines and into occupied Palestine," Nasrallah said on television.

"It overflew sensitive and important installations for dozens of kilometres until the enemy spotted it near (the nuclear site) Dimona," Nasrallah added on Hezbollah's television Al-Manar. He did not identify the installations.

Nasrallah insisted that "possession of such an aerial capacity is a first in the history of any resistance movement in Lebanon and the region."

link

Funny comments in this article:
link

Thanks for that Uesugi Kenshin . I thought using the "rinky-dink" term hilarious. . Robert

And this sounds like something Israel would do . Robert

"Israel usually tracks these drones as they come across the border and often doesn't bother to shoot them down," Zenko said. "They just want to see what Hezbollah thinks it can do."

Oh, I suspect Israel has been trying to get Hezbollah to operate a drone long enough to triangulate the control center's position. kaboom!

Seems to me they might send one back to Iran as well, now that they are openly admitting to providing this one as well.

Perhaps with a little, surprise gift inside, to amuse those that encounter it.

"Oh, I suspect Israel has been trying to get Hezbollah to operate a drone long enough to triangulate the control center's position. kaboom!"

Sounds like an excellent plan . Robert

They now believe the drone was launched from Gaza, after being smuggled in through underground tunnels from Egypt.

Apparently, it first flew out over the sea, to avoid triggering the Iron Dome defenses, and flew over some Israeli warships, before turning back towards shore.

The Israelis are now trying to figure out what the drone might have seen, and transmitted back to its handlers, before it was detected and destroyed.

The intercepting F-16's first AAM missed, but it got it with the second missile shot. There's footage of the second missile impacting the drone, and the F-16 flying through the area right after the detonation of the recon plane, being shown on Fox News today.

Iran says they've launched dozens of drones over Israel, and claim they were undetected.

Most concerning is Iran is thought to have suicide drones, packed with explosives, that can precisely attack targets at will.

Iran scoffs at Israel air defences after drone flight
by Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Oct 14, 2012

Iran on Sunday scoffed at Israel's air defences as it confirmed Tehran had provided Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah with the sophisticated drone which overflew the Jewish state earlier this month.

Iran's "capabilities are very high and are at the disposal and service of Islamic nations," Defence Minister General Ahmad Vahidi said, quoted by state television when questioned on the origins of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

"It is natural to use whatever we have at our disposal at the necessary time to defend the lands of the Islamic world," the general said. "This move shows that Hezbollah is fully prepared … and will respond to the Zionist regime."

He said the drone which overflew Israel "shattered everything that was said about the Iron Dome system (Israel's air defence shield) and it became clear that the Zionist regime can not escape Muslim anger."

link

Perhaps, but my money's on the Israelis, if it comes to a shooting match, since they always seem to win the wars, and most of the battles too.

Their opponents are hard to beat in the over the top rhetorical statements category though.

I agree Mako. Robert

Course now with the advent of Hamas using SAMS it may be a little more difficult to use aircraft to shoot them down. Robert

TMP link

Nick,

I finally saw one of your Watchkeepers today! Heard them buzzing around all year, but never spotted one til now.

What was your impression of it R Mark Davies ? Robert

Noisy. Like a Bluebottle on a moped with a broken exhaust. But then it was doing circuits around Aberporth airfield, about 1km from me, so it was doing a lot of full-power manoeuvres. It's probably a lot quieter when cruising or orbiting at altitude, doing its 'thing'.

Yes, like a herd of angry lawnmowers!!! When cruising in the 7-16,000 ft range quieter. Still very much restricted with regards altitude until the CAA clear it as "safe"!

Tally Ho!

So definitely quieter at higher altitudes. Robert

"Iran has Israel drone data: defence official
by Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Oct 29, 2012

Iran is in possession of data transmitted by an unmanned Hezbollah drone that overflew "restricted" sites and bases in Israel this month, a defence official said.

The drone "transmitted live data, photographing sensitive Israeli bases," chair of the Iranian parliament's defence commission, Esmaeel Kosari, told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam television.

"The photos of restricted areas are in Iran's possession," he said in an interview broadcast on Sunday night."

link

I wonder how much Israel knew of the "transmitted live data, photographing sensitive Israeli bases," going to Iran. Or if it really mattered. You would think that Israel may have some way to jam transmissions. Robert