Role & capabilities
- One-way attack aircraft
- Expendable airframe
- Primary domain
- Air
- System type
- One-way aircraft
- Developer / manufacturer
- Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center
- Origin / production countries
- Iran
- Other names
- Shahed 136
- Variants / configurations
- Iranian Shahed-136 baseline; Russian Geran-2 derivatives have a separate profile
- Operators / programme customers
- Iran; Russia — imported aircraft and separately profiled Geran-2 derivatives
Evidence & current status
The cited public record documents military use or operator acceptance. Specifications still depend on the particular production version and mission configuration.
Role & programme
An Iranian one-way attack aircraft design central to analysis of Iran-Russia drone cooperation. Russian Geran variants and production changes should not be treated as a single frozen specification.
Iranian design origin is recorded separately from Russian production and use. Geran-2 has its own entry because Russian manufacture, navigation changes and subsequent variants make a single frozen Shahed specification misleading. The DIA comparison and Treasury attribution are the core evidence sources.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | Delta-wing one-way aircraft | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Launch / recovery | Ground launch; expendable baseline | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Propulsion | Piston engine | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Dimensions | Estimated 3.3–3.5 m length; 2.5–3 m span | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Mass | Approximately 200 kg | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Endurance | Not established from the reviewed sources. | Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases. Source ↗ |
| Range | 1,000–2,500 km published estimate range | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Speed | Approximately 180 km/h | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Altitude | Not established from the reviewed sources. | Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases. Source ↗ |
| Payload | 20–50 kg published estimates | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
| Sensors | Not established from the reviewed sources. | Public data gap; no estimate substituted. Follow the source for subsequent releases. Source ↗ |
| Communications / navigation | Satellite-navigation system; later fits differ | CSIS synthesis of public estimates for Shahed-136; Russian derivatives and production versions differ. Source ↗ |
Publication history
- — Expanded catalogue profile with sourced specifications, variant distinctions, programme evidence and explicit public data gaps.
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Follow the evidence
Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.
- US DIA Iranian UAV comparison (opens in a new tab)Government / operator
- US Treasury producer attribution (opens in a new tab)Government / operator
- CSIS Missile Threat: Shahed-131 and -136, updated June 2026 (opens in a new tab)Independent research