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Megathread for the US war on Iran | Week 14 of 2026
(thelemmy.club)
This is a thread specifically for the war, not a general megathread (use the pinned /c/genzedong thread for that).
Please keep related news in this thread rather than making separate posts. Remember to include sources and avoid spreading rumours.
These are their weird expensive shaheds, as you can tell.
Expand sheepish metacommentary
I didn't mean to actually post that last fake interview, it came to me in a dream. It will happen again though.
Is...is it made out of cardboard?
It's made out of healthcare
Well one thing it has is anti-jamming in the form of Starlink, which can now be jammed. Also it can act as a mesh network or something. It ends up being 7 times more expensive than Shaheds & vulnerable to electronic warfare versus their inertial navigation backup or fiber optics like with many Gerans in the EW-heavy environment. All the Russian & Iranian versions except the decoy have a larger payload. Gerans can have thermobarics so they rly keep people on their toes. Needless to say supply is a lot higher, Russia has a plant making like 1000 per day. Lunacy. So mass EW works on them and they can't be used as a tool of economic warfare.
In terms of "upgraded shahed" I find the Russian & IR versions far more compelling. But most of that is sourced from Ukrainian articles & stuff complaining that sanctions aren't stopping western electronics parts getting into them lmao. They have all kinds of stuff like onboard ai, infrared cameras. The LUCAS payload has to be modified for other functions I think.
Its frame is in line with the other versions I mean. Its just a failed upgrade project & unsuitable for a serious drone campaign
Thanks for the detailed reply! Here's hoping they turn out to be just the latest neoliberal MIC boondoggle.
I'll get around to posting a longer writeup on the evolution of the Shahed with better sources this one is mid. Worth pointing out the Shahed has also evolved down into a plywood-and-foam decoy carrying a tiny warhead the mini-Geran or whatever it's called. So once radar is damaged, they can't be distinguished from non-decoys & the heavier warheads get through. The Geran-2s have a sturdier carbon fiber frame anyways I'll post a comparison of all their ranges etc