The Qods Mohajer (Persian: مهاجر, "Immigrant") is an Iranian single-engine tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by the Qods Aviation Industry Company in four main variants from the 1980s to the present day. The Mohajer family is primarily used for reconnaissance, and is among the most mature and well-known Iranian UAVs. The Mohajer-1 was used during the Iran–Iraq War for battlefield surveillance. The Mohajer-2 was developed in the 1990s with improved avionics and range, and remains in service today. The Mohajer-4 is another evolutionary improvement with again improved range, endurance, and surveillance. The last major variant, the Mohajer-6 (UAV), is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle that carries two munitions. The Mohajer is used by both the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). It has been exported to Iranian allies in the Middle East and has been used in the Syrian and Iraqi civil wars. In addition, the Mohajer-2 is license-built in Venezuela as the Arpia.
Mohajer-1
The Mohajer was Iran's first drone to enter series production and was used during the Iran–Iraq War. The Mohajer-1 was known simply as "Mohajer" through the 80s and 90s, when it was re-designated "Mohajer-1" as other Mohajer variants had been developed.
Design The Mohajer-1 had a narrow cylindrical fuselage, twin tailbooms, and straight wings mounted high and to the rear of the body. It had a single engine (unknown model) in a pusher configuration, and was guided by ailerons on the wings, an elevator on the horizontal stabilizer, and rudders on the tailbooms. The Mohajer-1 had three fixed landing gear for launch and recovery. It could also be recovered by parachute. The Mohajer-1 was about 8 feet long and had a wingspan of about 10 feet.
The Mohajer-1 carried a single still camera, probably carrying photographic film developed after the drone landed. It was controlled by hobby-class radio, which was easily jammed. In addition, Iran attempted to arm it with six RPG-7 rockets, three under each wing, though this was not very successful.
Performance The Mohajer-1's range is not definitively known, but was severely limited by the hobbyist radio link and lack of an autopilot system, which meant that the aircraft could only surveil Iraqi positions when operated from the Iranian front lines. One source suggests the Mohajer-1 was only able to penetrate 3 km into Iraqi lines. On the other hand, another source says the Mohajer-1 had a range of 50 km, and still another source lists a range of 30 km; this may reflect a difference between the aircraft's theoretical range and its real-world performance. There are no details on the Mohajer-1's airspeed, endurance, or ceiling.
Operational history Qods Aviation was formed in 1985 and four Mohajer-1s were built that year. The Mohajer-1 was operated by the IRGC's Raad Brigade and was used to correct artillery fire and photograph enemy positions. The Mohajer-1's first known use was in Operation Dawn 8 in 1986. It was also used in Karbala 5 in 1987. Mohajer UAVs photographed Iraqi lines until the end of the war and completed 619 sorties by the war's end, taking 53,772 photographs in total. The Mohajer-1 is out of service today. Though the Mohjajer-1 is primitive by today's standards and was essentially a hobbyist-class drone, the Iranians were satisfied with its performance, as it was one of only two Iranian surveillance assets in the war, along with RF-4s.
Mohajer-2 Following the successful use of the Mohajer-1, Iran wanted a version with more range and endurance. This version, which would later be named the Mohajer-2, also had an auto pilot system to fly beyond the line-of-control of its command center. The Mohajer-2 was developed in the 1990s and first seen in 1996. It was designed for surveillance use and as of 2011 more than 200 Mohajer-2s had been built.
Design
The Mohajer-2 has a bullet-shaped fuselage, mid-mounted, untapered wings, twin tailbooms, twin rudders, belly skids, and a horizontal tail. The belly skids are non-retractable, but can compress on landing to reduce shock. Apart from the skids, it is essentially a refinement of the Mohajer-1 design. Its airframe is composed substantially of composite materials. The Mohajer-2 is 2.91m long and has a wingspan of 3.8 meters. It is powered by a 25 hp WAE-342 two-cylinder engine. The Mohajer-2 has an autopilot system, which is able to maintain airspeed, altitude, and stability in flight. The autopilot system can control the aircraft's course via waypoints, or it can be controlled in real time from a ground control station. Like other Iranian drones, the Mohajer-2 lacks over-the-horizon guidance. The Mohajer-2 has a still or video (color or monochrome) camera, either fixed downwards for aerial surveying or mounted on a gimbal for surveillance. In addition, it has a fixed forwards-facing camera for navigation. There is no evidence the Mohajer-2 has been fitted with an infrared camera. It has an onboard digital processor and can downlink sensor imagery. The Mohajer-2 has two stub antenna in the under 10 GHz range, one on each wing, for real-time control. Prototype Mohajer-2s were fitted with two rocket pods for 12 RPG-7 rockets, similar to the Mohajer-1's, but this model did not enter production. The Mohajer-2 has a GPS guidance system. The Mohajer-2 is launched from a PL3 pneumatic catapult, which can be truck-mounted, wheeled, or ship-mounted. It can also be launched from a JATO platform, though this is uncommon. It is recovered by skid landing or parachute.
Performance Has an endurance of 1.5 hours and range of 50 km. The Mohajer-2 is about ten feet long and has a wingspan of about 12 feet. The tail wingspan is exactly 3 ft.
Operational history During the 1990s Afghan civil war, Mohajer drones reportedly monitored the situation. A Mohajer (unknown variant) may have been shot down over Iraq on 19 April 2001. The Mohajer-2 is also known to be operated by Hezbollah. Mohajer-2s have been extensively used by the Syrian Arab Army against rebels during the Syrian civil war. In addition to its military use, the Mohajer-2 can also be used for weather reporting. It is possible, but unconfirmed, that the Raad-85 is a variant of the Mohajer-2.
Arpia
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