HESA Shahed 238
Summary
| Category | Military Drones |
| Origin country | 🇮🇷 Iran |
| Manufacturer | HESA |
| First flight | 1 September 2023 |
| Year introduced | 2023 |
Technical specifications
| Version: Shahed 238 | |
|---|---|
| Maximum speed | 600 km/h (373 mph) |
| Powerplant | 1 x Toloue-10 delivering None each |
Description
The Shahed 238 is a turbojet-powered one-way attack drone developed by Shahed Aviation Industries. Designated as the Geran-3 in Russian service, the aircraft is a jet-powered evolution of the Shahed 136 loitering munition. The platform was first revealed in an Iranian state television documentary in September 2023 and officially unveiled in November 2023 at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) aerospace exhibition. Evidence from wreckage recovered in Ukraine in June 2025 indicates the drone has entered small-scale production.
The airframe is characterized by a black finish, which may function as radar-absorbent material or a night-operation paint scheme. It is powered by a Toloue-10 or Toloue-13 micro-turbojet 896 engine, though recovered wreckage has also identified the use of the Czech-made PBS TJ150 turbojet. The installation of a jet engine reduces the internal space available for fuel and payload relative to the propeller-driven Shahed 136, resulting in a likely reduction in operational range. Performance data indicates a top speed of 500 km/h to 600 km/h, with Russian sources claiming the aircraft can reach 800 km/h during a dive. Technical analysis of downed units revealed the inclusion of Western-manufactured components, including electronic chips from Intel and Texas Instruments and satellite navigation antennas from Tallysman Wireless.
The Shahed 238 was first identified in combat during Russian attacks on Ukraine in early January 2024. The platform enables higher transit speeds than previous Shahed iterations, complicating interception by traditional air defense systems.
Main Variants
- Inertial/Satellite Guidance variant: Uses GPS and GLONASS-based navigation systems for strikes against fixed geographic coordinates.
- Electro-optical/Infrared variant: Features camera sensors for heat-seeking or terminal guidance directed by an operator via a live video feed.
- Anti-radiation variant: Equipped with a radar-detection system for identifying and attacking air defense installations in Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) roles.