Shahed 171 Simorgh
| Shahed 171 Simorgh | |
|---|---|
| File:Shahed 171 Simorgh.jpg | |
| General information | |
| Type | Multirole[1] |
| National origin | Iran |
| Manufacturer | Shahed Aviation Industries |
| Status | Active |
| Primary user | IRGC AF |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2010s–present |
| First flight | 2014[2] |
| Developed from | RQ-170 Sentinel |
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
[edit | edit source]Simorgh is a Persian word deriving from Middle Persian 𐭮𐭩𐭭𐭬𐭥𐭫𐭥 sēnmurw,[4][5] which was a benevolent bird in Persian mythology.
Design
[edit | edit source]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
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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
[edit | edit source]
See also
[edit | edit source]Related development
[edit | edit source]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
[edit | edit source]References
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- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ 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.
- ^ Schmidt, Hanns-Peter (2002). Simorgh in Encyclopedia Iranica.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13930222001585 Archived 2015-10-04 at the Wayback Machine (May 2014) (translation here)
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
