Shahed-129

Shahed-129 overview

Shahed-129 is a reusable Iranian MALE UAV for surveillance and armed strike, not a one-way munition. Public reporting associates it with Sadid-series guided weapons and a conventional reconnaissance-strike mission.

Published figures are reported or estimated: 8-m length, 16-m span, 200-km/h speed, 1,700-km range, 24-hour endurance, and 400-kg payload. Height, ceiling, and weight are not publicly disclosed, and its exact weapon fit is unclear.

It was unveiled in 2012 and mass production was announced in 2013, both reported milestones. Iran is the publicly documented operator; other country operators are not public, which distinguishes its record from Shahed systems used by Russia. Its comparison value lies in reusable MALE roles, while estimated figures and claimed weapon capacity require qualification. For comparison, publicly documented roles and procurement or testing evidence are more reliable than unsupported inference from incomplete specifications, and they should not be treated as confirmation of unreported characteristics.

Armament

Sadid-series precision-guided munitions