Iran's Shahed drone: How the ‘poor man’s cruise missile’ is shaping Tehran’s retaliation

In the aftermath of the Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran, American allies in the Persian Gulf are hearing a sound that Ukrainian soldiers have long come to dread: the foreboding hum of the Shahed-136 'kamikaze' drone. Originating from Iran, the Shahed has already become a fixture of modern warfare, with Tehran's strategic partner, Russia, utilizing the technology in its years-long invasion of Ukraine. Now, the drones — the most advanced of which is the long-ranged Shahed-136 — have become central to Iran's retaliation strategy against the U.S. and its regional allies, with thousands unleashed so far. At first glance, the Shahed is unremarkable compared with cutting-edge weapon technologies, with one analyst referring to it as "the poor man's cruise missile." But while American allies have managed to intercept the vast majority of incoming drones with the help of U.S.-provided defense systems such as the 'Patriot' missiles, many Shaheds still managed to hit their targets. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that out of 941 Iranian drones detected since the start of the Iran war, 65 fell within its territory, damaging ports, airports, hotels and data centers. The Shahed‑136, among other unmanned aerial systems, has allowed states like Russia and Iran a cheap way to impose disproportionate costs. Patrycja Bazylczyk Analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studie Analysts say the key to their effectiveness lies in the numbers. The drones are relatively cheap and easy to mass-produce, especially compared to the sophisticated systems used to defend against them. Those factors make the drone ideal for swarming and overburdening aerial defenses, with each drone intercepted also representing a more valuable defense asset expended. "The Shahed‑136, among other unmanned aerial systems, has allowed states like Russia and Iran a cheap way to impose disproportionate costs," said Patrycja Bazylczyk, analyst with the Missile Defense Project at the ...