I want to compare Iranian drones (Arash-2/Shahed-136) with Iranian ballistic missiles and combat aircrafts.
One Shahed-136 (50kg warhead) costs 20.000$ and one Arash-2 (150kg warhead) probably costs 70.000$
30.000 Arash-2 drones * 70.000$ + 70.000 Shahed 136 drones * 20.000$ ==3,5 bln dollars for 100.000 drones delivering 8.000.000 kg of payload (8000 tons of payload)
For comparison one Pershing II (1770km range) cost 4mln$ in 1986 and using inflation calculator it is equal to 10mln dollars in 2021 dollars....Iran produces missiles on a larger scale and production inputs in Iran are much cheaper than in US, so I assume one Iranian Khaybarshekan missile (1450km range) costs around 3,5mln$ per unit.....If so, with 3,5bln dollars Iran can buy 1000 Khaybarshekan missiles delivering only 500.000kg of payload (500tons)
So with 3,5bln$ you can buy 100.000 Arash-2/Shahed-136 drones delivering 8000tons of payload OR only 1000 Khaybarshekans delivering only 500tons of payload...Which is better?
Ballistic missiles are better than drones, because they are very difficult to intercept, but nearly 20% of missiles fail in flight and they are very expensive. On the other hand drones can be spoofed by GPS jammers. But even if 6,25% of those 100.000 drones hit their targets, they will still deliver the same 500 tons as 1000 Khaybarshekans...
For another comparison assuming one Su-35 costs 80mln dollars with spare parts...you can buy only 43 Su-35 with 3,5bln$, compared to 100.000 drones or 1000 ballistic missiles.
One Su-35 can carry 4tons of bombs per sortie...So each of the 43 Su-35 must make 46 sorties to deliver 8000 tons of payload that 100.000 drones can deliver.-------but will these 43 Su-35s survive long enough to make 46 sorties if they will have to operate against an enemy that has powerful air defense network like Israel or Saudi Arabia?
So what is your opinion?
If you have 3,5bln dollars.....
will you buy 100.000 Arash-2/Shahed 136 drones (8000tons of payload)
OR 1000 Khaybarshekan missiles (500tons of payload)
OR 43 Su-35s that might not survive long enough in a full scale war?
Also your opinion on whether Israel or Saudi Arabia can survive 100.000 drone strikes on their military and civilian infrastructure?
One Shahed-136 (50kg warhead) costs 20.000$ and one Arash-2 (150kg warhead) probably costs 70.000$
30.000 Arash-2 drones * 70.000$ + 70.000 Shahed 136 drones * 20.000$ ==3,5 bln dollars for 100.000 drones delivering 8.000.000 kg of payload (8000 tons of payload)
For comparison one Pershing II (1770km range) cost 4mln$ in 1986 and using inflation calculator it is equal to 10mln dollars in 2021 dollars....Iran produces missiles on a larger scale and production inputs in Iran are much cheaper than in US, so I assume one Iranian Khaybarshekan missile (1450km range) costs around 3,5mln$ per unit.....If so, with 3,5bln dollars Iran can buy 1000 Khaybarshekan missiles delivering only 500.000kg of payload (500tons)
So with 3,5bln$ you can buy 100.000 Arash-2/Shahed-136 drones delivering 8000tons of payload OR only 1000 Khaybarshekans delivering only 500tons of payload...Which is better?
Ballistic missiles are better than drones, because they are very difficult to intercept, but nearly 20% of missiles fail in flight and they are very expensive. On the other hand drones can be spoofed by GPS jammers. But even if 6,25% of those 100.000 drones hit their targets, they will still deliver the same 500 tons as 1000 Khaybarshekans...
For another comparison assuming one Su-35 costs 80mln dollars with spare parts...you can buy only 43 Su-35 with 3,5bln$, compared to 100.000 drones or 1000 ballistic missiles.
One Su-35 can carry 4tons of bombs per sortie...So each of the 43 Su-35 must make 46 sorties to deliver 8000 tons of payload that 100.000 drones can deliver.-------but will these 43 Su-35s survive long enough to make 46 sorties if they will have to operate against an enemy that has powerful air defense network like Israel or Saudi Arabia?
So what is your opinion?
If you have 3,5bln dollars.....
will you buy 100.000 Arash-2/Shahed 136 drones (8000tons of payload)
OR 1000 Khaybarshekan missiles (500tons of payload)
OR 43 Su-35s that might not survive long enough in a full scale war?
Also your opinion on whether Israel or Saudi Arabia can survive 100.000 drone strikes on their military and civilian infrastructure?
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