Shahed 171 Simorgh Explained

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

Its design is based on a reverse engineered American RQ-170 UAV captured by Iran in 2011 and modified to carry guided missiles.[1] 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 sēnmurw,[2] [3] 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.[4] [5] It was used with munitions during the 2020 Joint Exercise Zolfaghar 99.

Status

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.[6]

Two were under construction as of 2014.[7] In 2014 Iran said that they would have four in service by March 2015.[8]

The UAV was first seen in May 2015 and was shown flying on Iranian TV in October 2016.[9] Jane's analysis placed the UAV at Kashan Air Base.[9] [10]

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.[1]

Operators

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sentinels, Saeqehs and Simorghs: An Open Source Survey of Iran's New Drone in Syria. 13 February 2018. bellingcat.
  2. 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.
  3. Schmidt, Hanns-Peter (2002). Simorgh in Encyclopedia Iranica.
  4. Web site: Iranian Copy of U.S. Unmanned Stealth Aircraft is a Fake - USNI News. 12 May 2014.
  5. Web site: Farsnews. en.farsnews.com. 2018-11-21. 2019-08-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20190824121346/https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930222000316. dead.
  6. Web site: Treasury Sanctions Iranian Persons Involved in Production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Weapon Shipment to Russia. September 8, 2022.
  7. http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13930222001585 (May 2014) (translation here)
  8. Web site: Farsnews. en.farsnews.com.
  9. Web site: Iranian 'stealth' UAV test site identified - IHS Jane's 360. https://web.archive.org/web/20161008173240/https://www.janes.com/article/64435/iranian-stealth-uav-test-site-identified. dead. 8 October 2016. 8 October 2016.
  10. Web site: Iran's Simorgh Test Site Identified. 8 October 2016. Offiziere.ch. 17 May 2019. 21 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181021020842/https://www.offiziere.ch/?p=29767. dead.

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