Russia’s extensive use of the low-cost Shahed-136 kamikaze drones in Ukraine has emerged as one of the most consequential developments in modern warfare, altering the economics and tactics of new-age fighting.
In its most recent and, perhaps, the biggest victory, the Shahed-136 reportedly destroyed a US Air Force (USAF) E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft in a strike at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on March 27, 2026.
Photos posted to social media showed that the rear fuselage of E-3 #81-0005 is completely burned out and destroyed, with debris scattered around the aircraft.
Subsequently, Iran published satellite images of the E-3 on the taxiway at Prince Sultan Air Base, both before and after the strike. According to open source reporting, at least six E-3 Sentry aircraft had been deployed to the Saudi base before the incident.
The E-3 Sentry is critical for spotting incoming barrages of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and aiding in anchoring the aerial war in coordination with other platforms. And while the aircraft’s damage cannot be fully assessed at this time, the attack is a major setback for the USAF, as the service had just 16 of these critical AWACS platforms remaining in its inventory.
Some observers speculate that the attack mirrored Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb” in its execution. Yaroslav Trofimov, the Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent of The Wall Street Journal, wrote on X: “Considering that the E-3 AWACS plane seems to be on the taxiway at Prince Sultan base, and how precisely it was hit in the radar dome area, I am wondering whether Iran managed to pull off its own Spiderweb operation with remotely piloted FPV drones (perhaps using the Saudi cellphone network.) This strike also required a high level of satellite ISR that Iran probably can’t get on its own. Russia?”
However, Iran later confirmed that the strike was conducted using the Shahed-136 drone.
“This $20,000 low-cost #Shahed 136 destroyed a $700 million E-3 #AWACS as it attempted to flee the runway,” Iran’s social media handles stated. Additionally, a photo of a Shahed-136 appeared online showing E-3 kill markings, although its veracity could not be independently established.
The Shahed-136 is a low-flying, slow-moving, GPS-guided unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) intended for saturation attacks and overwhelming enemy defences. They rose to prominence when Russia started fielding the Shahed-136 drones in the fall of 2022 and have been extensively used to hit Ukraine’s energy and military targets.
In fact, as part of a US$1.75 billion agreement in 2023, Iran allowed Russia to manufacture these drones domestically. Known as Geran-2 in their Russian variant, they are manufactured at the Alabuga drone factory and at an unidentified location in Izhevsk.
The Shahed-136 quickly became one of the most significant weapons in the Russian arsenal for two reasons: it has a range of about 2,000 to 2,500 kilometres, and a low radar cross-section and heat signature, which makes it slightly harder to intercept.
However, the main reason behind Russia’s large-scale adoption of the Shahed-136 as a primary weapon for attacking Ukraine is the cost inflicted upon the enemy. One piece of this drone costs about $20,000 to $50,000, whereas the interceptor missile to neutralize it costs $2 to $4 million per piece, creating a massive price differential and making the war very expensive for Kyiv.
Jolted by heavy swarms of Shaheds, Ukraine has now developed a host of interceptors to down these drones without draining its limited Patriot interceptor stockpile. This includes the Sting drone developed by Wild Hornets, the P-1 Sun developed by Skyfall, and the Bullet drones developed by General Cherry, as detailed in a EurAsian Times article.
Adding to these, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry has now codified and authorised the locally-made JEDI Shahed Hunter unmanned aerial system for operational use.
JEDI Shahed Hunter is a vertically launched multi-rotor interceptor drone. It has four powerful electric motors, a large battery, and a sturdy, lightweight frame.
The drone, which weighs slightly more than 4 kilograms, has a payload capacity of up to 500 grams, which is sufficient to destroy an attack drone, as noted by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry in its latest announcement. It can reach altitudes of up to 6 kilometres and accelerate to speeds surpassing 350 kilometres/hour.
JEDI Shahed Hunter automatically receives radar data, enabling the interceptor drone to engage and eliminate the target swiftly.
The ground control station ensures flight coordination, reliable communications, and precise target engagement, as per the Ukrainian Defence Ministry. The interceptor drone can automatically locate, track, and focus on a target. Furthermore, it has thermal and daylight-imaging cameras, allowing it to operate day or night.
While the per-unit cost of the JEDI Shahed Hunter was not disclosed, multiple reports have suggested that most Ukrainian interceptor drones cost between $1,000 and $2,000, significantly lower than the Shahed-136 drones and the expensive interceptor surface-to-air missiles typically needed to shoot them down.
In fact, these Ukrainian interceptor drones have done so well against the Shaheds that Gulf countries and the US seem to be eyeing them as they face a barrage of drones from Iran in the ongoing West Asian conflict. However, Ukrainian companies are not allowed to sell these cutting-edge systems, particularly as the country needs them for domestic use amid intensified Russian aerial attacks.
Shahed Variants Are Being Developed Globally
Russia was the first country to fully adopt and manufacture the Shahed domestically with help from its long-term partner and ally, Iran.
However, others have taken a fig leaf from the Ukraine War to develop their own iterations of drones that resemble the Shahed-136 in both design and capabilities.
An unexpected developer and user of a Shahed 136-clone is the United States, which has developed a drone called LUCAS (Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System).
As previously reported by EurAsian Times, the LUCAS is based on a Shahed-136 captured a few years ago. There is no clarity on where it was captured, but we know Kyiv’s forces have recovered the drone, in some cases almost entirely intact. LUCAS was developed by the US Department of Defence (DoD) in July 2025 and has been deployed for Operation Epic Fury against Iran since early March 2026.
It is a small, fixed-wing, delta-wing drone designed for terminal dives and long-range loitering. It is smaller and lighter than the Shahed and has a payload capacity of 8 to 18 kilograms, compared to the Shahed-136’s 40 to 50 kilograms. However, the open architecture and modular design of the LUCAS drone support a variety of payloads, such as explosive warheads, electronic warfare modules, and reconnaissance sensors, making it adaptable to a broad range of mission scenarios.
Similar to the drone from which it is derived, LUCAS offers a far more affordable offensive option, costing just between $30,000 and $35,000 per unit. It can also be easily scaled for use in a protracted war. Interestingly, the LUCAS is also more cost-effective than the Shahed-136 as it can be reused in various configurations, including for reconnaissance.
Another country that has developed a drone that is oddly similar to the Shahed-136 is the People’s Republic of China.
In 2023, videos emerged of a Chinese version of Iran’s famous Shahed-136 kamikaze drone, the Sunflower-200, being tested at firing ranges in China. The Sunflower-200 appeared to be a direct copy of the Shahed-136 in terms of design, with similar capabilities and intended roles. However, some experts have noted that the Chinese drone is lighter than the Shahed-136, allowing it to take off more quickly, even vertically.
Although the system remains shrouded in secrecy, which is inherent to all Chinese weapons, some estimates suggest that the drone has a range of about 1,500 to 2,000 kilometres, a payload capacity of 40 kilograms, and a speed of 160 to 220 kilometres/hour.
China has also developed the Loong M9 strike kamikaze drone, believed to be similar to the Shahed-136. Currently under testing, the Loong M9 has a take-off weight of 200 kilograms and a payload capacity of 50 kilograms. It can carry both explosive warheads and optical reconnaissance modules for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions.
According to reports, the drone has a range of over 1,600 kilometres and a loitering time of about 8 to 9 hours. The drone is allegedly more resistant to electronic warfare, as it can operate without GPS and has a secure data transmission channel—making it suitable for a conflict in the Western Pacific.
Notably, a recent South China Morning Post report refers to the Chinese ASN-301 drone as a “distant cousin” of the Iranian Shahed-136. It states that the Chinese one-way attack drone shares the aerodynamic delta-wing shape of the Iranian drone, and is based on a similar technological source.
Both drones have a low-aspect-ratio tailless delta wing with a cylindrical fuselage, a spherical optoelectronic nose payload, and a rear-mounted pusher propeller. However, the Chinese drone is smaller than its Iranian counterpart and is better suited to serve as an anti-radiation loitering munition rather than a simple kamikaze drone.
In addition to Russia, the US, and China, another country that has developed a Shahed-like loitering munition drone is India.
Two Indian defence firms have created drone systems that resemble Iran’s Shahed-123 kamikaze drone. According to recent reports, “Project KAL” and “Sheshnaag-150” are being developed in India to enhance deep-penetration attack capabilities. Both drones are currently undergoing testing.
The long-range indigenous kamikaze drone developed under “Project KAL” has an endurance of about 3 to 5 hours, enabling it to gather intelligence, conduct reconnaissance, and adjust flight routes before precision strikes. It is designed to deliver high-explosive payloads that target vital enemy infrastructure, including strategic sites, logistics centres, and radar systems.
Meanwhile, “Sheshnaag-150” is a swarm-capable drone with a cargo capacity of up to 40 kilograms and an endurance of roughly five hours. It is intended for long-range missions beyond 1,000 kilometres and coordinated attacks.
Learning from the lessons of a war taking place in its own backyard for over four years, Poland has been finalising the development of its own version of the Shahed-136, as recently disclosed by Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in an interview with Polish Radio. The new drone, which will be manufactured in both training and military versions, has a delta-wing shape.
It will have a wingspan of 2.2 meters, a length of 2.6 meters, and a maximum takeoff weight of 85 kilograms, according to preliminary specs. It will have a range of about 900 kilometres, a speed of 185 kilometres/hour, and a payload capacity of 20 kilograms.
However, this is an incomplete list of Shahed-like drones under development globally by countries looking to bolster their combat capabilities, with an eye on high-impact, low-cost systems that can be quickly scaled and modified.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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