Russia Requires Iran Version Of RQ-170 To Demolish Ukraine Air Defense Systems: Russian Media

Facts and figures on the ground show that the Russian Aerospace Forces have not been able to fully control the sky over Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and the Ukrainian army has used defense systems such as S-300 to counter operations deep inside Ukraine by Russian helicopters.

In the past fifteen months, Ukraine received a set of the most advanced missile systems and Western-made defense systems.

However, the Russian army succeeded in utilizing glide bombs. Such bombs, with their programming modules and low-altitude flight capability, accurately hit targets at distances of 40 to 60 kilometers. The glide bomb paves the way for targeting without firing expensive cruise missiles or dispatching aircraft into areas covered by air defense systems.

However, the S-300 systems will still pose a serious threat to Russian aircraft. The Russians say there is a solution to this problem to control Ukraine’s sky.

The solution is to use bomber drones instead of fighter jets and helicopters. Some Russian media outlets believe that instead of using Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B drones, the Russian army should use similar Iranian UAVs.

According to Top War, we talk about the offensive and reconnaissance drones of the Saegheh type, which were reverse-engineered and produced in Iran based on the basis of the technology of the US RQ-170.

Iran designed, produced and carefully studied several multi-purpose drones using US stealth drone technology. The difference between Shahed 141 and Shahed161 drones is that Shahed 161 uses a jet engine and Shahed 141 uses a piston engine as a propellant.

Shahed 141 drone has a speed of 275 kilometers per hour and its weight during flight reaches 175 kilograms and it can fly up to an altitude of 20,000 feet.

It has the ability to fire two smart “Sadid” bombs with the weight of 34 kilograms. Sadid is a guided anti-armor and air-based missile. And Russians are very interested in it; some Russian military analysts suggested purchase of Sadid-1 and Sadid 345 missiles from Iran!

Read more: Military Knowledge: Sadid Smart Bombs and Missiles

Sadid 345 is vital for Russia, because the bomb is very suitable for striking enemy radar equipment or artillery personnel. The bomb has three types of guidance, one of which is televised guidance, which has the least accuracy and its error is about 5 meters.

The Russian media argued that by using such drones, it is possible to penetrate deep into enemy defense lines (without endangering the lives of pilots of fighter jets) and easily hit predetermined targets. Also, unlike Geranium-2 (Shahed 136) UAVs, such drones are reusable. The use of composite materials in the construction of the drones has reduced their radar reflection.

In recent months, Western military and intelligence officials announced that the Russian army used more than 400 Iranian-made offensive drones in attacks on urban infrastructure in Ukraine; but, Spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanani stated that Tehran repeatedly responded to baseless allegations by Ukrainian officials regarding the alleged transferring of drones to Russia and once again it is emphasized that Iran has not exported any military equipment to any party for the usage in the Ukraine war.

There have not been released any documents or evidence regarding Russia’s use of Iranian bomber drones in the Ukraine war so far, but it seems that if the war continues, we will witness the entry of various Iranian weapons, especially Shahed 141 and Shahed 161 drones into the battlefield.

However, war zones are one of the main places to test arms and ammunition and Iran is not an exception in this regard; so, it is expected to take advantage of the opportunity.