Iran’s Sadegh UCAV Armed with Air-to-Air Missiles

During this year’s Sacred Defense Week, Iran publicly unveiled the Sadegh-1 (“Allegiant-1”) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). In appearance and layout, Sadegh-1 is similar to the proven, reliable Mohajer-4 (“Migrant-4”) reconnaissance UAV, suggesting manufacture by Ghods Aviation Industry.

Armament consists of adapted Misagh (“Covenant”) type MANPADS for use in the air-to-air role. Missiles are seen attached under the wings at two hardpoints. Manufacturing of adapted missile system presumed undertaken by Shahid Shah Abhady Industrial Complex.

iran_sadegh 1

For specific types of air-to-air encounters, this Iranian UCAV type might be seen as a very low cost solution of sorts, in terms of cost to manufacture, operate and potentially lose due to attrition or hostile fire.

Sadegh 1

More suiting, perhaps, this specification appears to offer a solution for allied fighting forces in southern Lebanon (possibly even southwest Palestine); forces that have persistently lacked air-to-air fighter capability. Iranian-type UAVs have been deployed in these theaters with varying levels of success, thus a comparatively low cost system represented by the Sadegh might be considered the next logical step, particularly against hostile rotary-wing aircraft.

Source: YouTube

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