As another keen observer of modern wars fought using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the nation of Iran has been stockpiling indigenous designs for the last decade. This includes the line of HESA Ababil UAVs which run the gamut of over-battlefield roles including general scouting, loitering munition, target drone, and attack. The Ababil-1 was a circo-1980s loitering type while the Ababil02 became its modernized, improved form. Since then, the Ababil-3 was revealed to be a 2008 development covering the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) role.
Expanding the line-up today is the Ababil-5, debuted during an Iranian military display in April of 2022. This aircraft appears to be a dedicated strike platform (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle = UCAV) ala the American "Predator" series with a fixed-wing mainplane, propeller drive, and underslung air-to-surface weapons. Its general design lines and overall configuration seem to very closely follow the Israeli IAI "Searcher" UAV of 1992.
As showcased, the UAV has a centralized, slab-sided fuselage with twin-boom tail unit configuration. The powerplant is seated at the rear of the fuselage driving a three-bladed propeller unit in "pusher" arrangement. The mainplanes are shoulder-mounted and straight with clipped tips while, under each member, is noted a hardpoint which can mount up to three small air-to-surface missiles (six in all). The undercarriage is of tricycle arrangement, wheeled, and fixed. It is assumed that the avionics and optics set are housed in the forward section of the fuselage.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
✓Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
RADAR-CAPABLE
Houses, or can house (through specialized variants), radar equipment for searching, tracking, and engagement of enemy elements.
PUSHER-PROP
Design incorporates rear-facing pusher-prop arrangement, a contrast to the more conventional puller-prop layout.
RUGGED AIRFRAME
Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.
HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE
Can reach and operate at higher altitudes than average aircraft of its time.
EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE
Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.
UNMANNED OPERATION
Design features ability to fly sans pilot, actions controlled onboard through programming and / or ground-based operator.
CAMERA EQUIPMENT
Payload supports photographic equipment providing still and / or real-time image / video results.
Length
19.2 ft (5.85 m)
Width/Span
28.1 ft (8.55 m)
Height
4.1 ft (1.25 m)
Empty Wgt
772 lb (350 kg)
MTOW
1,102 lb (500 kg)
Wgt Diff
+331 lb (+150 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base HESA Ababil-5 production variant)
monoplane / shoulder-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Shoulder-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted at the upper section of the fuselage, generally at the imaginary line intersecting the pilot's shoulders.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base HESA Ababil-5 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Conventional engine of unknown make and model outputting around 50 horsepower driving single three-bladed propeller unit at end of fuselage in pusher arrangement.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base HESA Ababil-5 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
Up to six air-to-surface missiles mounted at two underwing hardpoints (three missiles to a station).
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 2
Mounting Points
-
-
-
-
5
-
-
-
4
-
-
-
-
HARDPOINT(S) KEY:
X
15
13
11
9
7
5
3
1
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
COLOR KEY:
Fuselage Centerline
Fuselage Port/Wingroot
Fuselage Starboard/Wingroot
Wing/Underwing
Wingtip Mount(s)
Internal Bay(s)
Not Used
Note: Diagram above does not take into account inline hardpoints (mounting positions seated one-behind-the-other).
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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