The New Shahed-236 UAV Shows Advanced Cooperation Between Russia and Iran
Russia unveils the new Iranian UAV, produced at its plant in cooperation with Iran, and equipped with an advanced optical guidance system
Screen shot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSO7JKLfRIo
Over the weekend, a UAV model Shahed-236, based on an Iranian design, was revealed in Russia. According to Russian reports, the drone is equipped with an optical guidance system. Reports suggest that the UAV is already being manufactured at a plant in Russia.
The Russian news agency RIA reported that this marks an important step in the cooperation between Russia and Iran in the field of drone technologies. President Putin attended the presentation of the advanced UAV, along with other unmanned systems produced in Russia, during his visit to the "Center for Special Technologies" in St. Petersburg.
According to a report by World Defense News, the Shahed-236 model resembles its predecessor, the Shahed-136, but with a modification in its front section, which houses the optical guidance system. The system allows for manual guidance by an operator or autonomous guidance and can operate in darkness. The accuracy of its strikes is between three and five meters.
Regarding production, it is possible that this UAV is already being manufactured in Russia. In the first stage, 107 Shahed-236 missiles are planned to be built at the ALABUGA plant in Russia, with a delegation from the plant visiting Iran in 2023 for the transfer of technologies. There are also reports of the development of an advanced version of the UAV with a jet engine, as well as a version dedicated to intelligence gathering.
