Qods Yasir
Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Qods Yasir (Persian: یاسر), also known as the Sayed-2, is an Iranian light tactical surveillance and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)[2] manufactured by Qods Aviation.[3] It is ostensibly an unlicensed copy of an American Boeing Insitu ScanEagle drone captured and reverse-engineered by Iran, but has some design changes.
| Qods Yasir | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Type | Unmanned aerial vehicle |
| National origin | Iran |
| Designer | |
| Status | in production and in service |
| Primary users |  Iran |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2013–onwards |
| Introduction date | September 28, 2013[1] |
| Developed from | Boeing Insitu ScanEagle |
Iran captured a Scaneagle in December 2012 and the Qods Yasir was unveiled about ten months later, in September 2013.[2] The Yasir's only state operators are Iran and Syria. It has been exported to at least one non-state actor and is alleged to have been exported to several more.[2]
Yasir UAVs have been used by Iranian allies in the civil wars in Iraq and Syria, likely because of their small footprint compared to larger Iranian UAVs.[4]
Development
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On 4 December 2012 Iran said it had captured an American Boeing Insitu ScanEagle that violated its airspace over the Persian Gulf.[5] The U.S. Navy stated that none of its ScanEagles were missing.[6] However, there are other ScanEagle operators in the Middle East. Later that month, on 17 December 2012, Iran amended their claim to three ScanEagles[7] and said they would attempt to reverse engineer and mass-produce the ScanEagle.[8] Iran also claimed that they had already reverse-engineered, mass-produced, and entered the ScanEagle into service.[7] The UAV was unveiled to the media in September 2013 when it entered service and received the name "Yasir."[1]
In October 2013, the IRGC presented Russian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev with a Yasir drone as a gift.[9]
Design
The Yasir has swept back wings and a large payload bubble under its nose. Unlike the ScanEagle, it has an inverted V-tail and a twin-boom empennage. The Yasir has a single, unidentified, two-bladed propeller engine.[2] It carries an electro-optical payload.[10] It can also be fitted with an explosive payload for use as a disposable strike munition.[11]
The Yasir is 1.19 meters long, has a wingspan of 3.05 meters, and weighs 18 kg.[12] This is similar to, but slightly smaller than the ScanEagle.[13] It has a speed of 120 km/h, a max endurance of 20 hours, a 16,000 ceiling, and a communications link distance of up to 100 km.[14]
Operational history
Iran
At least some Yasirs are located at Iran's Qeshm Island drone base.[15]
Lebanon
Following the repetitive flying in early 2014 of an unidentified UAV over Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's Ma'arab complex, MP Antoine Zahra accused Hezbollah of flying a Yasir UAV in order to monitor and possibly assassinate Geagea.[citation needed] Israeli sources say Hezbollah has flown Yasir UAVs as well.[16]
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Iraq
The Iraqi Shia militia Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba has received six Yasir UAVs.[17] Kataib Hezbollah has also reportedly received the Yasir UAV, though they rarely use it.[17] The Shiite militia "Jund al-Imam Ali" has also apparently received Yasir UAVs.[17]
Syria
A Yasir UAVs operated by the Syrian Army were seen over Damascus in 2013.[2] They have also been spotted over Homs and Aleppo. At least 3 Syrian Yasir UAVs were shot down by Al-Nusra Front.[18]
Operators
State operators
Non-state operators
- Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba
Hezbollah (alleged)- Kata'ib Hezbollah (alleged)
- Kata'ib al-Imam Ali (alleged)
Specifications
Data from Drones Operating in Syria and Iraq[2] and Tasnim News
General characteristics
- Crew: none
- Length: 1.19 m (3 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
- Gross weight: 19 kg (42 lb)
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Cruise speed: 120 km/h (75 mph, 65 kn)
- Range: 100 km (62 mi, 54 nmi)
- Endurance: 8 h or 20 h
- Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,000 ft)
See also
- Iran–U.S. RQ-170 incident – An earlier and similar incident of an American UAV captured by Iran.