Shahed-136 - Tracking usage & expanding understanding.

[Stryker1982]

You are comparing 150KM distance with Iran’s 2500km original?

Iranian version has honeycomb radar absorbent material building (reverse engineered from Global Hawk and RQ-170) into the structure which allows its RCS to dip into LO category.

I doubt Turkish knock off or Chinese knock off come with honeycomb radar. Cheap imitations.

I think TB2 also uses similar honeycomb RAM as well from wreckage's I've seen. If I saw correctly, it could be implemented in a similar system for similar LO performance.

Irans version has data link. The drone was created to eliminate valuable air defense systems and radars. It’s a cheap but higher end VLO asset made to open the area for CMs, MALE UAVs, and suicide drones to get thru easier.

Russia is using them wrong. Russia is using them as cheap bombers in place of dwindling CM stockpile instead of going after radars/air defense systems/sources of radiation.

It has a man in loop feature were it will loiter until the operator finds a coordinate than guide the drone to that coordinate. Or else it uses its 4 GPS/GLONASS cluster to fly predetermined routes.

This is likely because they only received that particular version for suicide bombing only

 

[TheImmortal]

I think TB2 also uses similar honeycomb RAM as well from wreckage's I've seen. If I saw correctly, it could be implemented in a similar system for similar LO performance.

No it does not. Zero honeycomb RAS in wing, fuselage, or anywhere on it.

You don’t see anymore TB2, once Russia deployed its air defense systems sufficiently it got shot down very easy. But TB2 like S-129 are not made for areas that have capable air defense systems in place.

 

[Stryker1982]

No it does not. Zero honeycomb RAS in wing, fuselage, or anywhere on it.


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You don’t see anymore TB2, once Russia deployed its air defense systems sufficiently it got shot down very easy. But TB2 like S-129 are not made for areas that have capable air defense systems in place.

Appears you are correct. I might have confused a wreckage with a TB2 at one point. I swear I saw something like honeycomb RAM around an engine block one. Might have mixed up systems.

 

[FuturePAF]

They heavily depend on American companies. So i can confidently say no to your question, i have no doubt that USA never does complete TOT of its high tech industries.

Most of Turkish defense companies are an offshoot of American industries.

Perhaps that has changed, especially after being removed from the F-35 program. Reports indicated the T-FX program was accelerated once that happened. Seems to reason they would move to localization of the supply chain as much as possible.

Research on the subject is clearly being done.

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1779186

 

[TheImmortal]

Perhaps that has changed, especially after being removed from the F-35 program. Reports indicated the T-FX program was accelerated once that happened. Seems to reason they would move to localization of the supply chain as much as possible.

Research on the subject is clearly being done.

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1779186

We shall see. I’m curious if it ever reaches mass production.

Anyone can build 1 to 10 Fifth gen prototypes (see Russia with its SU-57). It’s a whole different ball game to build 100+ and have the design not suffer problems.

As of right now only US and China have demonstrated mass production of 5th Gen fighters.

 

[Muhammed45]

Perhaps that has changed, especially after being removed from the F-35 program. Reports indicated the T-FX program was accelerated once that happened. Seems to reason they would move to localization of the supply chain as much as possible.

Research on the subject is clearly being done.

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1779186

The engine of TFX still is an American handout. So what makes you think that the airframe is not American?

 

[White and Green with M/S]

The engine of TFX still is an American handout. So what makes you think that the airframe is not American?

Turkey are working on INDIGENOUS turbofan project, and wtf you're talking about that TFX's airframe is American???

 

[LegionnairE]

No it does not. Zero honeycomb RAS in wing, fuselage, or anywhere on it.


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You don’t see anymore TB2, once Russia deployed its air defense systems sufficiently it got shot down very easy. But TB2 like S-129 are not made for areas that have capable air defense systems in place.

We've seen them destroy Pantsir even S300 launchers. But there's a difference when Turkey deploys it and supports the system with advanced electronic warfare systems such as Koral and when Ukraine deploys it without such support. Despite that, it inflicted enormous casualities in Ukraine, surprising everyone, even me.

Somehow Russians got their shit together and got better at detecting these.

We shall see. I’m curious if it ever reaches mass production.

Anyone can build 1 to 10 Fifth gen prototypes (see Russia with its SU-57). It’s a whole different ball game to build 100+ and have the design not suffer problems.

As of right now only US and China have demonstrated mass production of 5th Gen fighters.

Valid skepticism.

I remember one more country that made some excellent 5. gen fighter prototypes but struggled to get them into serial production

It's certainly a risk.

 

[FuturePAF]

We shall see. I’m curious if it ever reaches mass production.

Anyone can build 1 to 10 Fifth gen prototypes (see Russia with its SU-57). It’s a whole different ball game to build 100+ and have the design not suffer problems.

As of right now only US and China have demonstrated mass production of 5th Gen fighters.

Indeed proof will be in the pudding, but by the e pace they are going, it won’t be too long before we know.

The engine of TFX still is an American handout. So what makes you think that the airframe is not American?

If the Americans wanted to sell an airframe to the Turks it would have been the one for the F-35. A design with sub-systems the Americans have more control over. The Turks also know they will lose arms deals if they have critical components made in the US. Jus took at the experience trying to sell the T-129 to Pakistan. Besides, investing in vertical integration will allow for the emergence of spin-off products like the ones this thread assumes Turkey can not make itself, while Iran can.

 

[Beny Karachun]

Wrong.

Irans version has data link. The drone was created to eliminate valuable air defense systems and radars. It’s a cheap but higher end VLO asset made to open the area for CMs, MALE UAVs, and suicide drones to get thru easier.

Russia is using them wrong. Russia is using them as cheap bombers in place of dwindling CM stockpile instead of going after radars/air defense systems/sources of radiation.

It has a man in loop feature were it will loiter until the operator finds a coordinate than guide the drone to that coordinate. Or else it uses its 4 GPS/GLONASS cluster to fly predetermined routes.


Russia and Iran are creating a turbojet version which will increase speed and lower sound thus making it even more deadly. Iran has been using the drone as a major data gathering tool for improvements in that class/type of UaV



AKA cheap imitation. Thank you for repeating what I said.

Even if Iran's drone has datalink, it's probably also around 150km range.

Turbojet will not decrease sound and will probably lower range and also make it have a much larger heat signature,making it an easy target for any MANPADS, not to mention it will make the drone more costly. I think that the propellor version is more useful.

 

[Stryker1982]

Irans version has data link. The drone was created to eliminate valuable air defense systems and radars. It’s a cheap but higher end VLO asset made to open the area for CMs, MALE UAVs, and suicide drones to get thru easier.

Russia is using them wrong. Russia is using them as cheap bombers in place of dwindling CM stockpile instead of going after radars/air defense systems/sources of radiation.

It has a man in loop feature were it will loiter until the operator finds a coordinate than guide the drone to that coordinate. Or else it uses its 4 GPS/GLONASS cluster to fly predetermined routes.


Russia and Iran are creating a turbojet version which will increase speed and lower sound thus making it even more deadly. Iran has been using the drone as a major data gathering tool for improvements in that class/type of UaV

They should've given them the other version with Data-link as well as a sample, but I guess the higher value systems they want to keep stocked for themselves.

 

[SalarHaqq]

Shahed-136 / Geran-2 patch:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640087639024869377

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640436899004162050

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640444302844370944

Some British propaganda:

Russia starts receiving regular supplies of Shahed kamikaze drones – UK Intelligence

The UK Intelligence analysed the situation with Russia’s use of Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones in its Sunday review.

www.pravda.com.ua

 

[Stryker1982]

Shahed-136 / Geran-2 patch:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640087639024869377

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640436899004162050

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640444302844370944

That's a nice patch.

 

[Messerschmitt]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640475114964676611

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640473409124483073

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640471555363700737

 

[BHAN85]

Months have happened and Americans still dont reverse engineered it, or at least disclose it, to Ukrainians.

Americans are not true friends of Ukraine, and they dont want to protect them neither win the war.

They want a endless Ukraine bloodbath.

They can reverse engineer the drone and find electronic warfare vulnerabilities in a blink of eyes if they want, but they dont want, they want to fight with conventional weapons, they dont want electronic warfare because that's peaceful and cheap fighting, and twisted Americans wants blood, explosions and things blowing up next to Russia border.