Shahed-136 Drone

Shahed: Iran’s Low-Cost Drone Warfare mechanism
Shahed-136 drone
•    Propulsion: Powered by an Iranian MD550 piston engine (derived from the Austrian Rotax 582), producing about 50 horsepower and enabling speeds of 180–200 km/h.
•    Warhead: Carries a 40–50 kg blast-fragmentation warhead that detonates on impact, effective against soft targets such as generators, transformer stations, and light vehicles.
•    Airframe Design: Features a delta-wing (“geranium leaf”) shape made of fiberglass composites and lightweight aluminium, giving it a small radar cross-section.
•    Size: Compact structure with ~3.5 m length and ~2.5 m wingspan, making it harder to detect and intercept.
•    Launch Method: Rail-launched from truck-mounted launchers (usually five launch tubes per vehicle), allowing rapid and mobile deployment.
•    Flight Profile: Operates at 60–1,000 m altitude, using terrain masking and low radar visibility to evade early detection.
•    Operational Strategy: Often deployed in large swarms, overwhelming air-defence systems by forcing the use of expensive interceptor missiles.

Key Variants of Shahed loitering munition
•    Shahed-131 drone
o    Range: ~900 km
o    Speed: ~175 km/h
o    Payload: ~15 kg warhead
o    Estimated cost: ~USD 10,000
o    Role: Smaller and cheaper variant suited for shorter-range swarm attacks.
•    Shahed-238 drone
o    Range: ~2,000 km
o    Speed: ~350 km/h
o    Payload: ~35 kg warhead
o    Estimated cost: ~USD 50,000
o    Role: Faster and longer-range variant designed for deeper strike missions.

Cost of Interception
•    The ongoing confrontation between the United States and Iran highlights a new challenge in modern warfare: cheap attack drones versus expensive air-defence systems.
•    Iran has increasingly relied on low-cost one-way kamikaze(suicide) drones to conduct strikes across the Middle East.
•    Although the U.S. and its allies possess advanced air-defence systems capable of intercepting most threats, these systems cost far more than the drones they destroy.
•    The Patriot missile system uses interceptors costing over $3 million per launch.
•    This creates a major cost imbalance, where interception may cost 10–70 times more than the attacking drone.
•    Limited production numbers further strain defence systems during prolonged conflicts.
Search for Cheaper Counter-Drone Solutions
To reduce interception costs, the U.S. is exploring alternative systems:
•    Coyote counter-drone interceptor: drone-based interceptor costing about $126,500 per unit.
•    Electronic jamming systems that disrupt navigation signals.
•    Laser and microwave weapons designed to disable drones.
•    Reverse-engineered system known as LUCAS drone system (Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System), costing roughly $35,000.
Current Scenario: 
•    Iran has reportedly deployed over 2,000 one-way drones in the ongoing conflict.
•    The Shahed loitering munition is widely used because it is a compact, truck-launched kamikaze drone (~11 feet long) that carries explosives and detonates on impact, making it easy to conceal and difficult to track. 
•    Some drones have bypassed advanced air-defence systems, raising concerns about defence reliability.
•    A Shahed-like drone targeted the RAF Akrotiri Airbase, likely launched by an Iran-backed proxy, showing the spread of low-cost drone warfare.
•    Questions remain about whether the United States and its allies can maintain sufficient interceptor supplies if the conflict continues.
Source : THE INDIAN EXPRESS EXPLAINED