Used by Iran, Russia, and now the US, the cheap Shahed is reshaping modern war

"The one-way attack drone, also known as a loitering munition, "is a truly revolutionary precision weapon, which challenges the West's defensive technologies and systems," according to missile and defense technology expert Uzi Rubin in a 2023 analysis for the UK's Royal United Services Institute."

"Iran developed the Shahed drone, an inexpensive long-range weapon, for its armed forces and its militant proxies. Russia took it into its war against Ukraine and began making its own version. And now in the newest major war, as Tehran's forces lob their missiles and Shaheds at targets across the Middle East, the US military is using its lookalike drones to strike Iran."

"These are far cheaper than many conventional missiles and difficult to counter at scale, especially when mixed into traditional missile strike packages - a development that is shifting key cost and defense considerations in war."

The Shahed drone, developed by Iran as a low-cost long-range weapon, has become a transformative military tool adopted and replicated by multiple nations. Russia incorporated the drone into its Ukraine campaign and developed its own variant called the Geran. The United States now employs similar loitering munitions against Iranian targets. These one-way attack drones are significantly cheaper than conventional missiles and difficult to counter at scale, particularly when integrated into traditional missile strike packages. Their affordability and effectiveness challenge Western defensive technologies, fundamentally altering cost-benefit calculations and defense strategies in modern warfare.

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