 |
| Russia Successfully Uses Kamikaze Drones Against Ukraine |
International Military - Over the past few days, the Russian armed forces have successfully attacked a number of facilities on Ukrainian territory using kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian and US camps say Moscow is using Iranian-made Shahed-129 and Shahed-136 combat drones (UAVs). Russia and Iran have denied this claim, saying Moscow did not use Iranian weapons systems from the start.
Regardless of the controversy over which drone was used, Military Monitoring said the key to the success of the Russian kamikaze drone attack on Ukrainian territory was thanks to the Glonass navigation satellite guidance. According to Russian sources, mainly from the Russian military-industrial complex, as claimed by Military Monitoring, the Glonass navigation module has been integrated into both versions of the Iranian Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle.
The same source claims that the reason for the integration of the navigation system is to increase the efficiency of the drone by increasing its range. Initially, drones were used in real combat conditions in Ukraine. Then they showed a flawed, very original aircraft inertial system. The Shahed-136 drone has a limited attack radius of almost 550 km with a possible range of at least 2,500 km.
Read Also: Specifications of the Iranian-made Shahed-136 Drone that Wary Ukrainian Soldiers
As Military Monitoring writes, with the same radius and limited range, the Russian armed forces cannot use drones to hit targets from a distance, but only at close range. BulgarianMilitary writes that currently, the Shahed-136 drone is used by two countries, namely Iran and Russia, as well as by the Houthi movement in Yemen. This kamikaze drone is manufactured by HESA Iran.
According to unconfirmed information, the price of one unit is between USD20,000 (Rp312.4 million) and USD50,000 (Rp781 million). Iran has not provided information on how many drones of this model have been produced so far.
The Shahed-136 drone is powered by a single piston MD-550 engine. The maximum flight speed ranges from 185 – 190 km/hour. The drone is launched from a Rocket Assisted Take Off [RATO] type platform. The warhead on the drone weighs 40 kg. This drone weighs 200 kg and has a wingspan of 2.5 meters.