The Mohajer-6 (
Persian: پهپاد مهاجر-6) is an
Iranian single-engine multirole
ISTAR[3] UAV capable of carrying a multispectral surveillance payload and/or up to four
precision-guided munitions.
The Mohajer-6 was unveiled in April 2016[4] and entered mass production in February 2018.[2] As of February 2018, ten have been manufactured for the
IRGC Ground Forces,[5] and 40 are planned for the
IRGC Navy.[5] It complements the larger
Shahed 129 operated by the
IRGC Aerospace Force.[6] The drone has also been delivered to the
Iranian Army.[4]
Design
The Mohajer-6 has a rectangular
fuselage, an upwards-sloping
nose, twin tailbooms, a top-mounted horizontal
stabilizer, uncanted
wingtips, straight wings mounted high and to the rear of the body, and
air intakes on the top and bottom of the engine. The Mohajer-6 is controlled by two elevators on the horizontal stabilizer, rudders on the vertical stabilizers, and two flaps per wing. Unlike other Mohajer variants, it has a three-bladed propeller. According to a specification sheet provided by the Iran Ministry of Defense, the Mohajer-6 has a wingspan of 10 meters and is 5.67 meters long.[7] It is similar in shape to the
Selex ES Falco.
As with other members of the
Mohajer family, the Mohajer-6 is made of composite.[8]
The Mohajer-6 has fixed tricycle landing gear, which underwent changes between the unveiling ceremony in 2017 and mass production in 2018, perhaps to accommodate more weight.[9] It is launched and recovered via runway takeoff/landing.[10]
It has a fixed, forward-facing camera for navigation and a gimbal on the chin for a
laser range finder and multispectral
IR and visible light electro-optical imagery.[11] The Mohajer-6 has three antennas, two on its left wing and one on its right, and a
pitot tube on its nose. The Mohajer-6 has two main variants. The A variant has two
hardpoints, one under each wing, which can each carry one
QaemTV/
IR-guided missile or one Almas missile.[5][a] The B variant has four hardpoints, with two under each wing carrying the same types of missiles. It has an autopilot system capable of automatic takeoff and landing. In addition, Iran describes it as capable of being fitted with
electronic support measures,
communications jamming, or
electronic warfare payloads.[11]
In August 2022, the Mohajer-6 was reported to be equipped with the Almas missile.[12]
Performance
The Mohajer-6 has a maximum takeoff weight of 600–670 kg and can carry about 100–150 kg in armaments, depending on model. The ground control station of Mohajer-6 has 200–500 km range. It has a maximum speed of 200 km/h, an endurance of 12 hours, and a 16,000-18,000 ft (4600-5500 m)
ceiling.[13][14]
Although the manufacturing company did not officially release the specifications and announcements for Mohajer-6, according to the information published by Iran's domestic news agencies, the specifications for two models are reported in June 2017 and August 2022 as follows.[15][13]
Ground Communication range: 200-500 kilometres (130/312 mi)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Operational altitude: 16,000/18,000 ft (4,876/5,486 m)
Endurance: 12 hours
Armaments
Four slots for
guided missiles or bombs under the wings and two slots under the main fuselage.
The armament mounting and launching system of Mohajer-6 is similar to many other UAV models operating within the Iranian armed forces and many types of air-to-ground, air to air missiles, guided rockets, guided mortars,
electronic countermeasure and radar detection and warning pods can be used with Mohajer-6 ammunition launching system.
In July 2019, Iran used the Mohajer-6 against
PJAK militants.[18] The Mohajer-6 has reportedly been used against
Jaish ul-Adl in 2023.[19]
In September 2022, a Russian
Telegram post claimed, that Russia used a Mohajer-6 to guide
Geran-2 suicide drones to their targets in
Ukraine during their
Invasion of Ukraine.[20] In the same month, Iran had also used the drone to
attack Kurdish political party headquarters in
Iraqi Kurdistan.
Russia: Bought and used by Russia during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[31] This has been indirectly confirmed on 23 September 2022, when a Mohajer-6 crashed in the Black Sea near the coast of Odesa.[32][33]
Venezuela: It was reported in November 2020 that technology transfer was likely done.[36] A Venezuelan Mohajer-6 was reported to be seen in Caracas in the same month.[37] President Nicolás Maduro claimed that the country can one day export Venezuelan-made drones.[38]
^دور, موسسه پرنده های هدایت پذیر از.
"سامانه کنترل و هدایت زمینی پهپاد مهاجر 6" [The ground control and guidance system of the migrant drone 6]. موسسه پرنده های هدایت پذیر از دور (in Persian). Retrieved 26 September 2022.