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Ukraine Captures Intact Russian Shahed-3 Drone, Uncovering Advanced Systems and Foreign Components
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Ukrainian Armed Forces have successfully captured a whole Russian-Iranian Shahed-3, an unmanned aerial vehicle used as a suicide drone including its camera, during recent operations. The video from the drone was shared in the “Zampotech Omelyanovych” Facebook group, Militarnyi reported on November 26.
The drone was equipped with a modem for a Mesh network, used for transmitting control signals in real time.
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This network enables signals to be passed through a chain of drones, allowing the operator to control them over long distances without direct communication. This capture provides valuable insights into the drone’s technology and capabilities, according to Militarnyi.
Earlier in September, the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR) released an in-depth analysis of the design and components of the Shahed-3 drone. It features a Chinese-made Telefly JT80 turbojet engine and two fuel tanks, enabling flight speeds of 300-370 km/h and a range of up to 1000 km.
The drone’s design closely resembles the previous Shahed-2 model, with electronic components such as the SADRA inertial navigation system, pressure measurement block (ADC), and power distribution unit (PDU) repeating from earlier versions. It also uses the “Comet-M12” satellite navigation system with a 12-element adaptive antenna array to resist countermeasures from Ukrainian electronic warfare systems, Militarnyi wrote.
Additionally, the captured Shahed-3 includes a camera and video transmission system identical to those used in the Shahed-2 of the “Ъ” series. The drone contains 45 foreign-made components, half of which are sourced from the US, with others from China, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, and Japan.
Previously, it was reported that Ukrainian long-range drones struck the VNIIR-Progress defense plant in the Russian city of Cheboksary, a key producer of Kometa satellite navigation antennas for Shahed-type drones and missiles.
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