Iran Releases First Test Flight Footage Of The Gaza (Shahed-149) UAV
Last week, Iranian media published footage of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Aerospace Force’s ‘Gaza’ (Shahed-149) UAV in flight for the first time. The Gaza unmanned aerial vehicle, one of the largest UAVs of the IRGC Aerospace Force, was seen taking off and flying from a runway at Kashan Airport in the short video in question. The first time the drone’s flight footage was made available to the press coincided with the launch of the Paveh, a new cruise missile that Iran claims has a range of 1,650 km.
The Shahed 149, also known as the Gaza UAV, was designed by Shahed Aviation Industries and manufactured by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (HESA). It is an improved version of the Shahed 129 unmanned aerial vehicle, which has been used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since 2012. Iran announced in February 2020 that it was developing the Shahed 149 unmanned aerial vehicle. One year later, the “Gaza” unmanned aerial vehicle was unveiled for the first time at a ceremony in Tehran attended by Major General Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force. Major General Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, said in a statement at the time that they named the drone as “an immortal honor to those who stand against the occupation and aggression of the Zionists today (in Gaza).” In addition, the ‘9-Day’ surface-to-air missile system and the ‘Jerusalem’ radar system, both developed domestically by Iran, were showcased for the first time at the same ceremony.
Shortly after the Gaza (Shahed-149) unmanned aerial vehicle was unveiled, Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries (HESA) began testing and development of the drone. The Gaza UAV was reportedly accepted into service by the Revolutionary Guards Air-Space Force in April 2022, after successfully completing flight tests. Gaza, according to Iranian officials, is one of the most advanced and largest Iranian drones in the service of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, capable of combat, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. This drone is similar in size, shape, and role to the American MQ-9 Reaper, with a length of 10.5 meters, a height of 3.2 meters, and a wingspan of 21 meters. Gaza has a service ceiling of 35,000 feet and a cruising speed of 350 kilometers per hour thanks to a 750-horsepower turboprop engine driving a four-bladed propeller unit. This drone, which is claimed to have a flight time of 35 hours and a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), can carry 13 bombs weighing up to 34 kilograms each and 500 kilograms of electronic equipment.