IRIAF Kaman-22

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) / Attack Drone

Iran | 2022

"The Kaman-22 is another in a long line of Iranian designed, developed, and produced UAVs - this offering given an inherent attack functionality."

Edited from the www.Military.ir presentation image to show detail.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/10/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

In February of 2021, the nation of Iran unveiled its latest unmanned vehicle - the "Kaman-22" - as it quickly becomes one of the world's notable producers of drones despite decades-long Western sanctions. On form alone, the Kaman-22 appears based in the American General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" (detailed elsewhere on this site) as it seems to mimic the drone quite closely. The new system is of the Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) class which allows it to be used beyond the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) role and take part in direct-attack actions, supporting a broad range of in-service Iranian munition and special-mission equipment options.

The Kaman-22 is billed as Iran's first "wide body" drone and is developed by the MSA Institute (MSAI) with manufacture handled by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) directly. Series introduction is thought to be in 2022.

The aircraft is showcased with a running length of 21.3 feet, a height of 8.2 feet, and a wingspan of 55.8 feet. It relies on a conventional piston-driven engine powering a three-bladed propeller unit at the rear of the fuselage in pusher arrangement, propelling the aircraft out to a range of 1,865 miles up to a ceiling of 26,000 feet. Endurance is reportedly up to 24 hours giving this drone good "legs" in the air.

As a combat vehicle, the Kaman-22 has provision for precision-guided munitions launched from the aircraft as well as special-mission pods and equipment. This includes Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs), Air-to-Surface Missiles (ASMs), Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCMs), hybrid UAV / cruise missiles, precision-guided / laser-guided drop / glide bombs, conventional drop bombs, small diameter bombs, Electronic CounterMeasures (ECM) pods, X-Band jammer, and laser-targeting pods.

These can be mounted across the aircraft on seven hardpoints up to 660lb in all.

An optics set is held under the nose of the aircraft in the "chin" position. Mounted on a 360-degree rotating blister unit, the OGHAB 4D/4H set has in-built InfraRed / Television and a laser range-finder.

The general design of the aircraft is largely conventional as modern drones go: the nose has a bulbous housing for the avionics fit and the fuselage is slim, chined, and is home to all pertinent operating systems and fuel. An intake is seated well-aft near the engine installation and straddled by outward-canted vertical planes joined by a shorter vertical plane set ventrally. The mainplane members are straight in their general shape and slightly taper towards the wingtips which are capped by winglets for fuel economy and added stability. Ground-running is handled through a basic wheeled tricycle arrangement.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the IRIAF Kaman-22 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) / Attack Drone.

1 x Conventional piston engine driving three-bladed propeller unit at rear of fuselage in pusher arrangement.
Propulsion

236 mph
380 kph | 205 kts
Max Speed

26,001 ft
7,925 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling

1,864 miles
3,000 km | 1,620 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the IRIAF Kaman-22 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) / Attack Drone.

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

21.3 ft
6.50 m
O/A Length

55.8 ft
(17.00 m)
O/A Width

8.2 ft
(2.50 m)
O/A Height

4,905 lb
(2,225 kg)
Empty Weight

10,505 lb
(4,765 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the IRIAF Kaman-22 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) / Attack Drone provided across 7 hardpoints.

Seven hardpoints can support a myriad of Iranian in-service munitions and special mission equipment including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, drone-launching, precision / guided drop bombs, conventional drop bombs, ECM pods, jammer pods, and laser targeting pods.

X

Hardpoints Key:

Centerline

Wingroot(L)

Wingroot(R)

Wing

Wingtip

Internal

Not Used

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the IRIAF Kaman-22 family line.

Kaman-22 - Base Series Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the IRIAF Kaman-22. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 25 Units
Contractor(s): MSA Institute / Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) - Iran

[ Iran ]

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Going Further...
The IRIAF Kaman-22 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) / Attack Drone appears in the following collections:

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