Shahed 129 is an Iranian single-engine medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed by Shahed Aviation Industries for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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10 Facts About Shahed 129
2.
The Shahed 129 is capable of combat and reconnaissance missions and has an endurance of 24 hours; it is similar in size, shape and role to the American MQ-1 Predator and is widely considered as one of the most capable drones in Iranian service.
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3.
Together with the Saegheh, the Shahed 129 is expected to form the backbone of Iran's high-end UAV fleet for at least the next decade.
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5.
Shahed 129 is a large single-engine propeller-driven UAV with V-tail vertical stabilizers, high-mounted straight wings, and a pusher configuration, generally similar to the MQ-1 Predator.
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6.
The Shahed 129 is powered by one Rotax 914 aircraft engine and has two twin hardpoints, for a total of up to four munitions.
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7.
Originally, the Shahed 129 carried Sadid-1 anti-tank guided missiles, known as Sadid-361 or Fat'h 362 missiles.
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8.
The Shahed 129 is claimed to have a 24-hour endurance, which is considered plausible but has not been independently verified.
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9.
In May 2014, two Shahed 129 aircraft were disassembled and airlifted on an Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter to Damascus International Airport, along with their ground control stations and associated support crews, for use in the Syrian Civil War.
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10.
The Shahed 129 made its first known drone strike in February 2016, which was the first wartime drone strike by Iran.
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