The Shahed 129 (Persian: شاهد ۱۲۹, English: "witness"; sometimes S129) is an Iranian single-engine medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed by Shahed Aviation Industries for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Shahed 129 is capable of combat and reconnaissance missions and has an endurance of 24 hours; it is similar in size, shape and role to the American MQ-1 Predator and is widely considered as one of the most capable drones in Iranian service. The UAV has been used for airstrikes in the Syrian Civil War and for border patrol on Iran's eastern border. As of 2017 the Shahed 129 and Saegheh are expected to form the backbone of Iran's high-end UAV fleet for at least the next decade.
Development
Development began in 2005 when Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA) began design work on the HESA-100 UAV. This was essentially the same design as the Shahed 129 but was shorter and with a squarish fuselage. Design responsibility was transferred to Shahed Aviation Industries Research Center, which renamed the HESA-100 the Shahed 123. Though little is known about it, the Shahed 123 is a production UAV in its own right, not a research project. The Shahed 123 was later developed into the Shahed 129. Both Shahed Aviation Industries and HESA have close ties to the IRGC. Alternatively, a number of sources have reported that the Shahed 129 was reverse engineered from an Israeli Hermes 450 UAV that crashed in Iran. Two prototypes were built. The first, with model number 129-001, first flew in spring 2012 and was first used operationally to livestream footage of ballistic missile tests on 13 July 2012. The second prototype, with airframe model 129–002, flew in June 2012. The Shahed 129 was first seen in Iran's "Great Prophet 7" war games exercise in September of that year. The UAV entered serial production in September 2013. However, it suffered problems with its planned armament and did not make any drone strikes until early 2016, when new Sadid-345 precision-guided munitions were integrated. The UAV is assembled by HESA. A total of 40 aircraft have been ordered, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by 2024. They are built at a rate of about three per year. On March 15, 2023, one Shahed is reported to have a sensor attached to the bottom of its body.
Design
The Shahed 129 is a large single-engine propeller-driven UAV with V-tail vertical stabilizers, high-mounted straight wings, and a pusher configuration, generally similar to the MQ-1 Predator. It has a long, narrow cylindrical fuselage approximately 65–75 cm in diameter, and is fabricated from large panels of composite material with an aluminum alloy superstructure. It has a chin-mounted gimbal electro-optic/infrared sensor for day/night missions, retractable landing gear, and a real-time video data link. There is also a payload bay under the drone's body, at the center of gravity. The Shahed 129 is powered by one Rotax 914 aircraft engine and has two twin hardpoints, for a total of up to four munitions.
Originally, the Shahed 129 carried Sadid-1 anti-tank guided missiles, also known as Sadid-361 or Fat'h 362 missiles. This is a TV-guided anti-tank missile derived from Iran's Toophan missiles and is described by multiple sources as similar in design to the Israeli Spike-ER missile. The Sadid-361 was not operationally deployed; one source says this was due to problems with the launcher mechanism and guidance system, while others say R&D was not completed because American sanctions prevented Iran from obtaining necessary components. Later, this was replaced by the Sadid-345 precision-guided munition, also known as the Sadid guided bomb. Iranian sources claim the UAV can carry up to eight weapons, but in practice it is not seen with more than four. The Shahed 129 does not carry its weapons in canisters, a practice that was criticised by some aerospace experts, as it exposes the weapons' sensitive electronics to flight conditions. Given that Iran regularly makes misleading claims about their UAVs, and that Shahed-129 made no known drone strikes for its first four years of flight, there were long doubts about the Shahed-129's claim to be a legitimate strike UAV. Since 2016, there is a general consensus that it is a legitimate UCAV capable of lethal force.
Though the Shahed 129 airframe is likely capable of its claimed 1700 km combat range, it relies on a ground control station, which Iranian state media say is limited to a 200 km datalink. Independent analysts are more positive, saying the effective range is likely 300–400 km, but are clear that the drone's reliance on a ground station severely circumscribes its effective range. Other experts say the Shahed 129's datalink could likely not reach even 200 km. The drone can use an autopilot system, similar to that used on the Karrar UAV, to follow predefined way-points beyond its control station's communication range. The Shahed is claimed to have a 24-hour endurance, which is considered plausible but has not been independently verified.
Operational history
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