At the level of rumors: Iranian “Shahed-238” in the Russian army
Three variants of the Shahed-238 UAV on display in Tehran, November 2023.
Since the fall of 2022, the Russian armed forces have regularly used long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicles against Ukrainian military targets. Recently it became known that a new type of UAV is now being used to solve such problems. According to published data, this could be the Iranian Shahed-238 product, its Russian licensed version, or a similar sample of our design.
Percussion means
The Russian army began the new year 2024 with a series of massive attacks on Ukrainian military facilities and dual-use infrastructure. As before, air- and sea-launched cruise missiles, as well as Geranium-2 long-range attack UAVs, were used to hit the intended targets. In addition, recently the first information appeared about the use of a completely new drone.
Ukrainian sources published several photographs of some debris and mangled units. It was claimed that these were fragments of a new Russian strike UAV, involved in one of the latest strikes and allegedly shot down by Ukrainian air defense systems. However, the condition of the wreckage does not provide unambiguous confirmation of such information. It is quite possible that the drone was able to break through the air defense, hit the target and broke into fragments.
The published photos show several fragments of cladding made of sheet material in a gray color. The contours of one of them resemble the air intake casing and air duct of a turbojet engine. The engine itself was also discovered - a small-sized product of an unknown model. Another picture shows a certain on-board electronics unit with toggle switches, indicators and connectors.
Fragment of the skin of an attack UAV, presumably with an air intake
The control unit is marked in English. On one of the fragments of the UAV skin there are the letters MJ0. Other inscriptions or elements allowing identification of the wreckage and the aircraft as a whole are missing or have not been made available to the public.
However, the drone was allegedly identified. The Ukrainian side claims that this is the Iranian Shahed-238 attack vehicle, developed and presented in the recent past. In fact, it is a reactive modification of the older Shahed-136, which became the basis for the Russian Geranium-2. Based on this assumption, a conclusion is made that a new Iranian UAV or its modification has entered service with the Russian army.
Russian officials or structures have not yet commented on reports of a new attack UAV. Probably, as in the case of "Geranium", our Ministry of Defense does not consider it necessary or possible to disclose all the details. However, this secrecy regime does not prevent the regular and effective use of drones against enemy targets.
Iranian development
In September 2023, Iranian television showed a documentary about the development of domestic unmanned systems. Along with already known samples, several new products were demonstrated there. One of these UAVs was similar to the long-known Shahed-136, but differed in the use of a jet propulsion system. Details of such a project were not provided at that time.
Engine of a drone used in Ukraine
In mid-November, a large exhibition of modern and advanced weapons and equipment developed in Iran took place in Tehran. One of the main new products was the Shahed-238 jet attack UAV. It was shown in a documentary in September, and the official premiere took place at the exhibition. The product shown predictably attracted the attention of specialists and the public.
Iranian industry showed three versions of the new drone at once, differing from each other in control and guidance means. Through the use of different sets of devices and instruments, Shahed-238 of three modifications can hit stationary targets with known coordinates or search for and destroy moving objects.
Technical details of the new project, as well as production and operation plans, were not disclosed during the premiere. Such data did not appear later either. However, recent reports from Ukraine may indicate that the Shahed jet has been successfully brought to production and use in real-life operations.
Technical features
The new Iranian UAV "Shahed-238" is considered a deeply modernized version of the older "Shahed-136". While maintaining the basic elements of the airframe, it received a new power plant and other radio-electronic equipment. Such modifications should have affected the flight performance and overall combat capabilities. However, even the basic parameters of the new drone remain unknown, which makes it difficult to evaluate.
Electronic equipment item
Like its predecessor, the Shahed jet is built on the basis of a tailless airframe with a pronounced fuselage and a delta wing, the tips of which have vertical surfaces. The total length of the product can reach 3-3,5 m with a wingspan of 2,5-3 m. The launch mass can be estimated at at least 200 kg. About a quarter of the total mass may fall on the warhead.
Unlike its predecessor, Shahed-238 is equipped with a turbojet engine. It is located in the rear fuselage; the air intake is located on the upper surface of the airframe. Judging by the recently shown debris from Ukraine, the UAV was equipped with a Tolou-10 engine. This is an Iranian unlicensed copy of the Czech product PBS TJ-100 with a thrust of 110-120 kgf, intended for use on missiles and drones.
The Shahed-238 project provides for the use of three avionics options. The first set includes an autopilot and inertial and satellite navigation tools. It allows you to guide the UAV according to pre-loaded coordinates. Two full-fledged homing heads have also been developed. It is assumed that one of them uses optical instruments, and the other uses radar. However, the exact composition and characteristics of the new seekers remain unknown.
The characteristics of the Shahed jet were also not disclosed. However, even without official publications one can understand how it should differ from the previous UAV with a propeller. The use of a turbojet engine was supposed to increase the maximum flight speed. "Shahed-136" flies at a speed of no more than 200 km/h, and the new "238" should be much faster. At the same time, there is a risk of reducing the maximum flight range due to higher fuel consumption with the same tank capacity.
"Shahed-238" in flight, view from the ground
Combat potential
For obvious reasons, complete and accurate information about the composition of forces and assets involved in recent strikes is not available. The origin of the debris shown by the Ukrainian side also remains unclear. At the same time, a version is expressed about the use of the Shahed-238 UAV or its localized version. The extent to which these assumptions correspond to reality is still unknown. But it is already possible to consider the new Iranian drone from the point of view of its possible use as part of the current operation.
In general, a strike system of this kind would be useful and would give our army new capabilities. The Shahed jet could complement the existing Geraniums and make the range of unmanned strike systems more flexible, further increasing its effectiveness.
Shahed-238 differs from its predecessors in its flight characteristics. The increased flight speed achieved by turbojet engines reduces travel time to the target and reduces the enemy's chances of retaliating. At the same time, the reduction in flight range due to higher fuel consumption places new demands on the organization of attacks - on the choice of launch sites and targets, on laying out routes, etc.
The existing "Gerani-2", aimed at given coordinates, have performed well in numerous strikes. Shahed-238 retains these functions and also gains new capabilities. Two seekers of different types have been developed to detect and track a target. The use of such heads should increase the accuracy of hitting stationary objects and ensure effective work on moving ones.
Self-propelled launcher for "Shaheds"
Apparently, the new Shahed-238 retains a certain unification with previous developments. Accordingly, the production and operation of this UAV will not have to be mastered from scratch. In addition, parallel production and use of two products close to each other will not cause difficulties.
Mysterious new product
Thus, the Russian army appears to have a new unmanned strike system with a large combat radius. The first known episode of its use took place a few days ago, and information about new attacks may appear in the near future. In the future, if there are appropriate command decisions and technical capabilities, attacks by new UAVs may become regular.
With all this, the technical side of the latest strikes remains questionable. The type of new UAV, its origin, characteristics, capabilities, etc. are not reliably known, and so far we can only rely on individual estimates and assumptions. However, given past experience, it cannot be ruled out that the version about a new Iranian drone is true, and our military is again using foreign developments.
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