A number of western sources have expressed doubt that the Saegheh is weapons-capable, and say it is solely an ISR platform.[7][8]
As of 2017, 10 Saegheh drones were in production, and Iran planned to procure at least 50 by 2025.[2]
Variants
The specifications for the Saegheh are unknown, but it is believed to have a wingspan around 6–7 meters.[9]
Saegheh-1
The Saegheh-1 was first presented at an Iranian arms expo in 2016.
Iranian state news claimed the Saegheh-1 could carry four Sadid-1 precision-guided anti-tank guided missiles. The Iranian Government did not provide a demonstration of the UAV flying, or state what its range was.[10] The Saegheh-1 had no apparent targeting/optical system.[1]
The first models of Saegheh lacked the frontal air intake of the Simorgh/RQ-170.
Saegheh-2
This model is also known as the Shahed 191.[11] Later shown models have a frontal air intake, although it's likely that models with piston engines do not have a frontal intake. The UAV takes off from specialized racks, that are mounted on a vehicle speeding down a runway (probably Toyota Hilux trucks), and is recovered on a runway with retractable landing skids.[12] According to Tasnim News, the Shahed 191 is 60% of the size of the RQ-170.[13]
The Shahed 191 carries two Sadid-1 missiles internally and lands on retractable landing skids.[12] The Shahed 191 has a cruising speed of 300 km/h, an endurance of 4.5 hours, a range of 450 km, and a payload of 50 kg.[14] The ceiling is 25,000 ft.[13] The wing span is 7.31 meters, the length 2.7 meters, the max takeoff weight 500 kg, and the max speed 350 km/h.[13]
In wargames held in 2019 Iran showed a Saegheh variant powered by a propeller. It carries its Sadid-1 weapons externally and lands on fixed landing skids.[11] It takes off similarly to the Shahed 191 variant.[11]
On 1 October 2018, the IRGC Aerospace Force used ballistic missiles and drones, supposedly including Saegheh UAVs, to attack targets in the Abu Kamal region, in Eastern Syria.[15] Although Iran had first shown the Saegheh with four Sadid-1 missiles slung under the body, in this incident they released video they said showed a Saegheh UAV releasing a single Sadid-1 bomb from its internal bomb bays.[16]
In July 2022, the United States claimed that Russian officials had travelled to Iran to 'examine' drones, including several labelled on satellite images as Shahed-191. At least one of these aircraft was pictured in flight near Kashan airfield. The report stated that the aircraft appeared to be 'attack-capable'.[18]
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