Russia’s Exploitation of Iran’s Low-Cost Drones Raises Global Concerns
Russia has been utilizing Iran’s low-cost drones to expand its global influence, according to a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) analyst. The simplicity and affordability of the Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have appealed to Russia, which has received hundreds of them from Iran in the past year. Lt. Col. Robert Carter, the DIA spokesman, stated that Iran has successfully tapped into a niche market for these single-purpose attack drones.
The drones primarily provided by Iran to Russia are the Shahed-136 and the slightly smaller Shahed-131. These UAVs only operate in one direction and explode upon reaching the intended target. Moreover, operators are unable to communicate with the drones once they are airborne, making it challenging to disrupt them using electronic warfare. Another advantage of these Iranian drones is that they do not require a runway for takeoff, making them extremely convenient to launch. Furthermore, some of their components are commercially available.
Lt. Col. Carter emphasized that the migration of these systems from the Middle East to Eastern Europe demonstrates Tehran’s willingness to sell weapons. By arming Russia with their drones, Iran has indicated that it is not a neutral actor in the Ukrainian conflict. The DIA has confirmed the use of these Iranian drones by Russia in Ukraine by comparing remnants from the battlefield with one found in Iraq, where the Iranians claimed responsibility for an attack.
Although the simple drones provided by Iran are a significant part of Russia’s arsenal, their capabilities extend beyond this. Iran recently unveiled the Mohajer-10, an upgraded version of the Mohajer-6 drone, which can carry a 300-kilogram payload – twice the capacity of its predecessor. While this news raised concerns, Tal Beeri, research director at Israel’s Alma Center, cautiously noted that the Iranians tend to assign multiple names to the same existing weapon.
Iran has not only supplied drones to Russia but has also given them to various proxies in the region, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Shi’ite militias in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Hezbollah alone reportedly possesses between 2,000 and 4,000 drones. According to Beeri, the assumption is that Iran has provided advanced UAVs to Hezbollah.
As Iran’s drone program expands and Russia continues to exploit its low-cost UAVs, global concerns about the consequences of Tehran’s drone capabilities are increasing. The simplicity and affordability of these drones make them attractive to countries seeking low-cost military options. With Russia now working to produce these drones within its own borders, the threat posed by Iran’s drone program has truly become a global issue.
