The US Air Force has issued a request to defense industry corporations to develop a 1:1 copy of the Iranian-made Shahed-136 suicide drone. This requirement emphasizes that UAVs must be identical in size, shape and features compared to the original model.
According to the plan, the US plans to buy 16 units in the first batch and may increase to 20 in the next phase. These UAVs are not officially deployed but only serve training and testing, helping the US military prepare effectively to deal with real-life scenarios.
Because Shahed-136 model is not provided, participating businesses have to research and develop products that meet standards themselves. The next UAV needs to have a flight range of at least 2,500km, a speed of 185 km/h, a length of 3.5m, a wingspan of 2.5m, using a fan-powered engine in the correct position as the original. They must be capable of launching with compressed air and automatically flying from takeoff to landing.
Some prototypes of US businesses have been introduced, including the Low-Level Unmanned combat System (LUCAS) of Spektreworks. This model applies a modular design, allowing the replacement of equipment at the wing to perform different tasks such as attack, reconnaissance or communication.
Another candidate is MQM-172 Arrowhead, which is seen by experts as an unlicensed copy of Shahed-136. MQM-172 can be launched with a compressed air or rocket, carrying warheads, electronic warfare equipment or an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system with a maximum load of 45kg.
Western forces recognize suicide UAVs as having great value in combat, although many countries have not yet been able to officially include this type of weapon in their payroll. With the new move, the US wants to accelerate training and testing capabilities to ensure a strategic advantage in dealing with UAVs.
