Iran Deploys New Hadid-110 Drone for First Time as Faster Alternative to Shahed-136.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reportedly used the Hadid-110 suicide drone, also known as Dalahu, in operational strikes for the first time. The system appears designed to fly faster than the Shahed series loitering munitions, potentially complicating air defense efforts by Israel, the United States, and regional partners.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reportedly introduced a new loitering munition, the Hadid-110 suicide drone, also known as Dalahu, in recent operational strikes amid escalating hostilities with Israel and the United States. The drone’s appearance suggests Iran is fielding a faster class of one-way attack UAV intended to supplement or replace the slower Shahed family widely used in previous conflicts. The system surfaced after coordinated strikes on 28 February 2026 targeted Iranian facilities and military officials, marking a possible shift in Tehran’s drone employment strategy. If confirmed, the Hadid-110 could represent an effort to challenge increasingly layered air defense networks deployed across the Middle East.
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The Hadid-110 propulsion system enables a cruise speed of approximately 510 kilometers per hour, nearly three times the speed of the Shahed-136 (Picture source: Screenshot of an IRGC video)

The Hadid-110 was publicly unveiled in 2025 during a defense exhibition organized by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and attended by officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC). The system is designed as an expendable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) intended for suicide strike missions. The drone belongs to the broader family of loitering munitions developed by the Iranian defense industry to attack military objectives or critical infrastructure at a distance. Its design aims to combine a substantially higher speed than Shahed-series drones with a relatively simple and low-cost production architecture.

The operational use of the Hadid-110 takes place in the context of an ongoing military confrontation in the region. On 28 February 2026, Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes against several targets inside Iran as part of a joint campaign. Israel designated the operation Operation Roaring Lion while the United States referred to it as Operation Epic Fury. The attacks targeted Iranian military officials, strategic facilities, and infrastructure linked to the country’s military capabilities. In response, Tehran initiated a series of retaliatory strikes under the name Operation True Promise IV, during which several types of drones and missiles were employed.

For several years, Iran has relied heavily on loitering munitions such as the Shahed-136, a suicide drone developed by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), a subsidiary of the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) located in Shahin Shahr near Isfahan. Unveiled in 2021, the system has become one of the most widely used strike drones within Iran’s arsenal and among several of its regional partners. The aircraft uses a delta-wing configuration with stabilizing rudders located at the wing tips and a piston engine mounted at the rear driving a pusher propeller.

The Shahed-136 measures approximately 3.5 meters in length with a wingspan of 2.5 meters and a total weight of around 200 kilograms. It carries a high-explosive warhead estimated between 30 and 50 kilograms. Propulsion is provided by a MADO MD-550 piston engine producing about 50 horsepower, derived from the German Limbach L550E engine. This configuration allows the drone to reach a maximum speed of roughly 185 kilometers per hour. Its endurance and range represent its primary strengths, with estimates placing its operational reach between 1,000 and 2,500 kilometers depending on the flight profile. Navigation relies mainly on an inertial guidance system supported by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning.

The Hadid-110 follows a different design approach. Instead of a piston engine, the drone is equipped with a compact jet engine. This propulsion system enables a cruise speed of approximately 510 kilometers per hour, nearly three times the speed of the Shahed-136. Launch is carried out using a rocket booster that accelerates the aircraft before the jet engine takes over sustained propulsion, a configuration commonly used for small jet-powered drones.

The airframe also uses a delta-wing configuration combined with sharply angled surfaces intended to reduce radar signature. This architecture helps decrease the radar cross-section and delay detection by opposing radar systems during the approach phase. Available data indicate that the Hadid-110 carries a warhead weighing about 30 kilograms. Its operational range is estimated at approximately 350 kilometers and endurance reaches close to one hour. The drone can operate at altitudes up to around 30,000 feet, or roughly 9,115 meters.

A comparison between the Hadid-110 and the Shahed-136 highlights the operational rationale for introducing the new system. The Shahed-136 is primarily designed for long-range saturation strikes. Its relatively low production cost allows large numbers of drones to be launched simultaneously from truck-mounted launchers, creating swarm attacks intended to overwhelm air-defense systems. However, its relatively low speed gives defending air-defense networks more time to detect and intercept incoming drones. The Hadid-110 instead prioritizes speed at the expense of range. With a cruise speed exceeding 500 kilometers per hour, it considerably reduces the interval between detection and impact, complicating interception by air-defense systems.

In operational terms, the two drones appear intended to be used in combination. Shahed drones can be launched in large numbers to saturate radar coverage and consume interceptor missiles, while faster systems such as the Hadid-110 attempt to exploit gaps in the defensive network and reach more sensitive targets including command centers, radar installations, or logistical infrastructure.

The appearance of the Hadid-110 in recent strikes also reflects the continuing evolution of loitering munition technology. Jet-powered loitering drones now occupy an intermediate position between conventional suicide drones and cruise missiles. Their lower cost compared with missiles allows them to be deployed in greater numbers while providing higher speed than propeller-driven drones.

Within this framework, the introduction of the Hadid-110 reinforces the saturation logic already central to Iran’s drone strategy. By combining long-range drones that can be launched in large numbers with faster platforms capable of reducing reaction times for air-defense systems, Iran can multiply attack vectors and complicate interception efforts. Air-defense units must then manage a large number of incoming targets simultaneously, each with different flight profiles, increasing the likelihood that part of the attacking drone wave penetrates the defensive network.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.