Iran launched a wave of kamikaze drones into Israel early this morning, which can wreak deadly havoc if not stopped by air defense systems.
The so-called Shahed drones have a range of more than 1,500 miles and can “loiter” over potential targets for hours before crashing into enemy soldiers, vehicles or buildings and exploding on impact.
Packed with explosives, Shahed’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be pre-programmed with a target’s GPS coordinates.
They are known as suicide drones because they plummet and explode on impact like a missile and are destroyed in the process.
The Shahed 136 is almost 12 feet long with a 4-foot wingspan in a delta or triangular shape. The explosives are contained in the tip of the drone, as well as the technology that guides it to its targets for a precision strike.
A drone is launched during a military exercise at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this image obtained on October 4, 2023.
An Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-136, is displayed in Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2024.
A hundred drones and missiles were fired at Israel
The engine is located at the rear and drives two bladed propellers. It has been compared to the engine found in a lawnmower or moped.
In total, the drone weighs 440 pounds and can fly at speeds of nearly 120 mph.
To overcome air defenses, several drones (usually groups of five or more) are launched at once from the same mount. They can be fired in rapid succession from a truck-mounted rocket launcher.
The rocket is jettisoned during takeoff and the engine takes control once it is airborne. A near-horizontal launch allows drones to fly low and slow, thus avoiding radar detection more effectively. It is known that Iran controlled the Shaheds by radio.
They are comparatively cheap and cost around £16,000 per drone.
A terrifying map has revealed the route Iranian drones took early this morning in an attempt to attack Israel.
Following the bombing of one of its embassies in Syria earlier this month, Iran launched an attack against Israel by sending drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles toward Israeli targets.
A barrage of missiles and drones has begun to penetrate Israeli airspace
Drones are seen at a site in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this image obtained on April 20, 2023.
Drones or missiles competed yesterday for targets in undisclosed locations in northern Israel
Dramatic images show the moment Israel fires missiles to intercept the aerial bombardment, with explosions lighting up the sky.
The United Kingdom, one of Israel’s closest allies, and other nations supported Israel by sending fighter jets to shoot down the drones and missiles. US officials added that their military also intercepted drones and missiles heading towards Israel.
US bases in Iraq have been placed on high alert and will also attempt to shoot down missiles and drones aimed at Israel.
Additionally, the United States has two destroyers and a cruiser in the Red Sea that are fully armed with anti-missile weapons and are also under orders to shoot down any Israeli missiles or drones.
But Iran has threatened the United States if it becomes involved in the dispute, claiming it is a conflict only between Iran and Israel.
Israel and Iran have been engaged for years in a shadow war marked by incidents such as the attack on Damascus.
But Sunday’s attack, which set off air raid sirens across Israel, marked the first time Iran launched a direct military attack against Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. .
Over the years, Israel has established – often with the help of the United States – a multi-layered air defense network that includes systems capable of intercepting a variety of threats, including long-range missiles, cruise missiles, drones and short-range rockets.
That system, along with collaboration with the United States and other forces, helped thwart what could have been a much more devastating attack at a time when Israel is already deadlocked in its war against Hamas in Gaza and engaged in low-level fighting. on its northern border. with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs: facts and figures
Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs, also known as suicide drones, were launched to attack Israel this weekend.
Here are some facts and figures about the deadly drone:
- Weapon type: Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
- In service since: 2021
- Made in: Iran
- Maker: HESA (Iranian Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation)
- Weight: 440 pounds
- Armed head: 80 pounds
- Length: 12 feet
- Wingspan: 8 feet
- Range: 1,500 miles
- Flight height: 13,000 feet max.
- Speed: 120 miles per hour
- Used in: Yemen, Iraq and Ukraine
Iranian-made Shahed-136 UAV