How Did a Drone Made by Impoverished Iran Come to Be Used by the U.S. Military? [Tech Talk]

Shahed-136: A Drone Developed for Supplying Militias
Proven Cost-Effectiveness Inspires U.S. and European Copycats
Relentlessly Evolving to Meet Changing Battlefield Needs Over the Past Four Years

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From the Russia-Ukraine war to the U.S. military’s “Epic Fury” operation, the weapon that has changed the face of war over the past four years is the Shahed-136 suicide drone. This manta ray-shaped aircraft, equipped with a propeller at the rear, explodes by crashing into the ground once it reaches its target. Originally, Iran developed this makeshift weapon as a last resort after being unable to import advanced weapons due to international sanctions. Now, even the U.S. military has recognized its value and reverse-engineered it for its own use.

An Iranian Drone Made from Cheap Components

The Iranian Shahed-136 suicide drone is a low-cost weapon developed by assembling common commercial components that can be obtained anywhere. Screenshot from the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) website

The Shahed-136 is a drone characterized by its triangular wings and piston engine. With a blunt nose carrying a 50 kg explosive, it can fly up to 2,500 km at speeds of 100 to 200 km/h. The key to this drone is the use of the cheapest and most common components possible to keep production costs low. Its MD-550 engine, developed in the 1980s, is now mass-produced under license by numerous Chinese companies, and its navigation computer is a Raspberry Pi 4, a British-made educational computer. The estimated unit price is around 5,000 dollars (approximately 7.5 million won).

Since the early 2000s, Iran has supplied the Shahed-136 to allied Middle Eastern militias and armed groups. Although slow, the Shahed-136 can loiter over long distances, posing a significant threat to Western military bases and Israeli forces in the Middle East.

However, it was only with the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 that this weapon began to truly change modern warfare. Russia began producing the Shahed-136 domestically under the name “Geran-2,” and now possesses the capacity to launch more than 1,000 drones into Ukraine daily. It is simply not feasible to intercept these relatively cheap drones, which cost only a few million won each, with interceptor missiles that cost several hundred million won apiece. In response, Ukraine has also concentrated on developing inexpensive drone interceptors. Today, the outcome of battles in Ukraine is increasingly determined not by soldiers or tanks, but by drones.

Now Used by the U.S. and European Militaries

The American LUCAS drone, reverse-engineered from the Shahed-136. The rectangular Starlink receiver mounted on top of the fuselage. U.S. Central Command

Ironically, the Shahed-136 has become Iran’s greatest weapons export success. Now, even the U.S. and European militaries are actively deploying Shahed-136-type drones. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees Operation Epic Fury, announced last year that it had deployed the LUCAS drone, which closely resembles the Shahed-136.

The LUCAS drone is manufactured by SpecterWorks, a defense company based in Arizona, United States. This drone is, in fact, a product of reverse engineering—disassembling the Shahed-136 and reconstructing it based on its structure. According to CNN, the U.S. military captured the Iranian Shahed-136 and shipped it to the United States years ago, where American companies reverse-engineered it into what is now known as the LUCAS drone.

Poland, a country neighboring Ukraine and strengthening its defense against Russian provocations, also introduced a new drone at the end of last year that looks identical to the Shahed-136. Meanwhile, German company Quantum Systems is supplying NATO member states with Shahed-136 replicas for training purposes.

Continuous Evolution on the Battlefield

Russia developed the Geran-3 drone equipped with a jet engine instead of a piston engine, and painted the entire fuselage black. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Intelligence Directorate X

The truly formidable aspect of the Shahed-136 is not just its low cost, but its relentless evolution. Russia has outfitted its domestically produced Shahed-136, known as the Geran-2, with various sensors for multi-purpose use. For example, Geran-2 drones equipped with decoy signal generators—rather than actual bombs—can serve as “bait drones” to distract enemy forces.

The American LUCAS drone is very similar to the Shahed-136 but features a Starlink receiver, allowing it to connect to satellite internet communications. This enables reliable remote control and guidance even in remote areas with no other means of communication, making it an even deadlier weapon.

Russia has now released an upgraded version called the Geran-3. This model replaces the Shahed-136’s MD550 piston engine with a Russian-made jet engine. Its speed reaches up to 600 km/h—nearly three times faster than the original Shahed-136—and the entire fuselage is painted black, making it difficult to spot with the naked eye during nighttime flights.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.