Shahed 171 Simorgh
S-171
Role Multirole[1]
National origin Iran
Manufacturer Shahed Aviation Industries
First flight 2014[2]
Status Active
Primary user IRGC AF
Produced 2010s–present

The Shahed 171 Simorgh (sometimes S-171 and called IRN-170 by the US government[1]) is an Iranian jet-powered flying wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) produced by Shahed Aviation Industries.[3]

Its design is based on a reverse engineered American RQ-170 UAV captured by Iran in 2011 and modified to carry guided missiles.[3] It is one of two Iranian flying wing UAVs based on the RQ-170, along with the Saegheh, a smaller version, with which it is often confused.

Etymology

Simorgh is a Persian word deriving from Middle Persian 𐭮𐭩𐭭𐭬𐭥𐭫𐭥 sēnmurw,[4][5] which was a benevolent bird in Persian mythology.

Design

The Simorgh is a reverse engineered RQ-170. There are multiple unknown variants, one of which is modified to play the role of a UCAV armed with 4 missiles. An author stated it was a crude mock-up mostly made out of fiberglass.[6][7] It was used with munitions during the 2020 Joint Exercise Zolfaghar 99.[8]

Status

Shahed 171

According to the United States Government, a company associated with Imam Hossein University, Paravar Pars Company, was involved in the reverse engineering and research, development, and production of the Shahed 171.[9]

Two were under construction as of 2014.[10] In 2014 Iran said that they would have four in service by March 2015.[11]

The UAV was first seen in May 2015 and was shown flying on Iranian TV in October 2016.[12] Jane's analysis placed the UAV at Kashan Air Base.[12][13]

Some sources report that a Shahed 171 may have been shot down in the February 2018 Israel–Syria incident, but the UAV was probably the very similar Saegheh.[3]

Operators

 Iran

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. 1 2 Iran Military Power (PDF). Defense Intelligence Agency. 2019. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-16-095157-2.
  2. ↑ Opall-Rome, Barbara (13 February 2018). "Israel Air Force says seized Iranian drone is a knockoff of US Sentinel".
  3. 1 2 3 "Sentinels, Saeqehs and Simorghs: An Open Source Survey of Iran's New Drone in Syria". bellingcat. 13 February 2018.
  4. ↑ A. Jeroussalimskaja, "Soieries sassanides", in Splendeur des sassanides: l'empire perse entre Rome et la Chine (Brussels, 1993) 114, 117–118, points out that the spelling senmurv, is incorrect as noted by David Jacoby, "Silk Economics and Cross-Cultural Artistic Interaction: Byzantium, the Muslim World, and the Christian West", Dumbarton Oaks Papers 58 (2004): 197–240, esp. 212 note 82.
  5. ↑ Schmidt, Hanns-Peter (2002). Simorgh in Encyclopedia Iranica.
  6. ↑ "Iranian Copy of U.S. Unmanned Stealth Aircraft is a Fake - USNI News". 12 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Farsnews". en.farsnews.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-24. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  8. ↑ Hanna, Andrew (14 September 2020), "Iran Tests Weapons During War Game", The Iran Primer, United States Institute of Peace
  9. ↑ "Treasury Sanctions Iranian Persons Involved in Production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Weapon Shipment to Russia". September 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13930222001585 Archived 2015-10-04 at the Wayback Machine (May 2014) (translation here)
  11. ↑ "Farsnews". en.farsnews.com.
  12. 1 2 "Iranian 'stealth' UAV test site identified - IHS Jane's 360". 8 October 2016. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "Iran's Simorgh Test Site Identified". Offiziere.ch. 8 October 2016. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
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