drone Iran Active assessment
IRGC-AF and IRIAF drone units; exported to Ethiopia, assessed transferred to proxy forces Iran

Mohajer-6 MALE UAV

Specifications

designation Mohajer-6
class Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) Reconnaissance/Strike UAV
endurance ~12 hours (assessed)
ceiling ~5,500 m (18,000 ft)
speed ~200 km/h max
range ~200 km operational radius (line-of-sight datalink)
payload ~40 kg external stores
armament Qaem-series precision-guided munitions (TV/IR-guided), Almas anti-tank missile
engine Single piston engine (pusher configuration)
wingspan ~10 m
length ~5.7 m
launch method Runway or rail-launched
guidance GPS/INS + datalink to ground control station

The Mohajer-6 is Iran’s primary medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance and strike missions. It represents the latest evolution of the Mohajer series, which dates back to the Iran-Iraq War, and is the most capable ISR drone in Iran’s operational inventory. While less internationally prominent than the Shahed-136, the Mohajer-6 fills a fundamentally different role: persistent surveillance and precision engagement of ground targets.

Capability overview. The Mohajer-6 carries an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turret for real-time surveillance and target acquisition, with video downlink to a ground control station. It can carry up to approximately 40 kg of external ordnance, typically Qaem-series precision-guided munitions — small TV- or IR-guided glide bombs designed for engaging vehicles, personnel, and light structures. The Almas anti-tank guided missile (an Iranian Spike-equivalent) has also been integrated. This ISR-strike combination, while modest compared to Western MALE systems like the MQ-9 Reaper, gives Iran and its proxies a genuine armed overwatch capability.

Operational use. The Mohajer-6 has been operationally deployed in multiple theaters. IRGC footage released during operations in Syria and Iraq showed Mohajer-6 platforms conducting surveillance and strike missions against opposition forces. The drone’s relatively low speed and altitude make it vulnerable to modern air defenses, but in permissive or semi-permissive airspace — typical of Iran’s proxy conflicts — it provides effective persistent ISR.

Export and proliferation. Iran has exported the Mohajer-6 to at least one confirmed state customer: Ethiopia, which employed the type in its Tigray conflict (2020-2022). Iranian state media has also displayed the Mohajer-6 at defense exhibitions and marketed it to potential buyers. Assessed transfers of Mohajer-variant technology to Houthi and Iraqi militia operators have been reported but are less well-documented than Shahed-136 transfers.

Comparison to Western systems. The Mohajer-6 is not competitive with Western MALE UAVs in any individual metric — its endurance, altitude, payload, and sensor quality are all significantly below the MQ-9 or Bayraktar TB2. However, it is cheap, producible in volume with Iranian domestic industry, and operationally adequate for the threat environments Iran faces. It fills the gap between expendable OWA drones (Shahed-136) and the larger, more capable Shahed-129/149 platforms that Iran has displayed but whose operational status is less certain.

Strategic role. The Mohajer-6’s primary value is in the ISR-strike loop: finding targets and engaging them with precision munitions in real time. For the IRGC, this provides a capability that previously required manned aircraft — enabling targeted killings, convoy interdiction, and battlefield surveillance without risking pilots. For Iran’s proxy network, it represents a step-change in capability from unguided rockets and small drones to precision-guided operations.

Sources