Financial Times: Iran Requested Russian Drones for Use Against the US and Israel

The Financial Times revealed that Iran has requested from Russia advanced Russian-made drones of the "Giryan" model this year for use in its war against the US and Israel.

The newspaper reported that Russia’s capabilities in drone technology have improved to the point that Tehran has asked Moscow this year for advanced "Giryan" drones to use in its conflict with Israel and the US, according to Western security officials and a Kremlin-connected figure.

The paper states that the "Giryan" drone is an upgraded version of the Iranian-designed "Shahed" drones, which Russia first began producing in 2023.

The first-generation "Giryan-1" carries a warhead weighing up to 20 kg and reaches a maximum speed of 185 km/h. The "Giryan-5"—a jet-powered drone reportedly first deployed by Russia in January of this year—can fly at speeds up to 600 km/h, carrying a 90 kg warhead with a range of up to 1,000 km.

While the "Giryan-4" uses an improved aerodynamic version of the original airframe, the "Giryan-5" features a new airframe design closer in appearance to cruise missiles.

Development goes beyond speed and shape; earlier "Giryan" models relied on primitive guidance systems, whereas newer models are equipped with thermal cameras, AI-based targeting systems, Russian-made anti-jamming antennas, and Chinese-made modems for mesh radio networks.

Sergey Biskrestnov, advisor to Ukraine’s defense minister, said: "The Russian operator flies at an altitude between two and five kilometers, locates the target, locks the camera onto it, then the Shahed drone automatically launches its attack."

He added that nearly all jet-powered drones currently attacking Ukraine are equipped with such cameras.

The centralized production under the Kremlin has enabled rapid modification of drones, incorporation of field feedback, and swift deployment of new models; these drones cost only a fraction of the price of the missiles that formed the backbone of Moscow’s previous aerial campaigns.

Ruslan Bukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said: "The reason Russia was able to establish a new, major production line from scratch lies in the fact that the process is far simpler technologically than manufacturing equipment like tanks, which require massive, unique, and expensive machinery."