Shahed-136 to Shahed-238: Iran’s Notorious Kamikaze Drone Is Now Powered by a Jet Engine?
After the ‘resounding success’ of the Shahed-136 kamikaze drone in Ukraine, Iran has unveiled a jet-powered version of the popular loitering munition, the Shahed-238. Bearing the same design as its predecessor, the UAV has three sub-variants with different guidance and seeker systems.
While it is not known whether the drones have entered mass production in Iran, it won’t be long until that stage, given Tehran’s efforts to have a large and diverse inventory of UAVs. It would also be interesting to see if Russia adopts the jet engine feature on its Shahed-136 clone, the Geranium-2 (Geran-2).
Previous reports noted how Russia had set up a dedicated drone factory in Alabuga to reproduce Iranian drones exclusively as a part of the burgeoning defence industrial ties between the two countries. But it is conceivable that the new jet-powered Shaheds will not have incorporated lessons from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
