Shahed-171 Simorgh

Shahed-171 Simorgh overview

Shahed-171 Simorgh is an Iranian unmanned flying-wing aircraft publicly linked to the 2011 recovery of a U.S. RQ-170. It is associated with a larger reusable platform intended for reconnaissance and potentially strike missions.

Official displays and open imagery show a broad tailless aircraft with concealed propulsion, but independent technical data are scarce. Dimensions, speed, range, endurance, ceiling, payload, sensor fit, and communications architecture are Not publicly disclosed as one verified specification; claims for other Shahed or RQ-170 variants should not be transferred automatically.

Iran has displayed Simorgh and announced tests, while regional reporting has described Iranian unmanned operations involving related designs. Public evidence does not establish a complete deployment record or prove that every displayed airframe has identical mission equipment.

Through September 2026, Simorgh remains an important Iranian indigenous stealth-UAS program with reported ISR and strike ambitions, but its operational scale and technical maturity remain uncertain. The supplied art is an interpretation rather than a technical drawing.

Armament

Potential internal or external precision payload; standard fit Not publicly disclosed

Development and operational timeline

1. Dec 2011Iran recovers a U.S. RQ-170 in eastern Iran and begins public reverse-engineering claims
2. May 2014Iran unveils the Shahed-171 Simorgh as an RQ-170-derived flying-wing UAV
3. Feb 2018Iranian RQ-170-derived UAV activity is reported during the Israel-Syria confrontation
4. Sep 2026As of September 2026, Simorgh remains publicly associated with Iranian reusable ISR/strike development; service scale is not fully documented