Qods Mohajer-6

Lore & Background

The Mohajer-6 was unveiled in April 2016 and entered mass production in February 2018. As of February 2018, ten had been manufactured for the IRGC Ground Forces, with 40 planned for the IRGC Navy. It has also been delivered to the Iranian Army. In 2022, Iran provided multiple Mohajer-6 drones to Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war. The drone has a rectangular fuselage, upwards-sloping nose, twin tailbooms, top-mounted horizontal stabilizer, uncanted wingtips, straight wings mounted high and to the rear, and a three-bladed propeller. It is made of composite materials and has fixed tricycle landing gear, which underwent changes between its 2017 unveiling and 2018 mass production, possibly to accommodate more weight. The Mohajer-6 has two main variants: the A variant with two hardpoints (one under each wing) and the B variant with four hardpoints (two under each wing), each capable of carrying Qaem TV/IR-guided missiles or Almas missiles. In August 2022, it was reported to be equipped with the Almas missile. Iran describes it as capable of being fitted with electronic support measures, communications jamming, or electronic warfare payloads.

Reader's Guide

The Mohajer-6 represents a significant step in Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle development, serving as a medium-altitude, long-endurance platform for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) as well as strike missions. Its ability to carry up to four precision-guided munitions distinguishes it from earlier Mohajer variants and positions it as a tactical asset for ground and naval forces. The drone's operational history includes use against PJAK militants in July 2019, against Jaish ul-Adl in 2023, and against Kurdish political party headquarters in Iraqi Kurdistan in September 2022. Internationally, Iran has supplied Mohajer-6 drones to the Sudanese Army during the Sudanese civil war, and Russia has used them during its invasion of Ukraine, with one confirmed crash in the Black Sea near Odesa in September 2022. The drone's design, manufactured by HESA despite being designed by Qods Aviation, reflects Iran's domestic aerospace industrial base. Its reported use by Ethiopia and the Popular Mobilization Forces, along with technology transfer to Venezuela, underscores its role in Iran's drone export strategy.

Did You Know?

• The Mohajer-6 has a maximum speed of 200 km/h and an endurance of 12 hours.
• It has a service ceiling of 25,000 ft (7,600 m) and an operational altitude of 16,000–18,000 ft.
• The drone features six hardpoints: four under-wing and two under-fuselage.
• In September 2022, a Russian Telegram post claimed Russia used a Mohajer-6 to guide Geran-2 suicide drones in Ukraine.