Iranian Qaher-313 "indigenous fighter jet" and drone versions

This creates a real technology gap that we can't let stand.

Glad we preserved F-22 tooling.
Now they have done it, USAF has declassified our NGAD demonstrator, you know China will now mass-produce this advanced platform. We have to keep the lid on this critical technology. But I don't know what Iran is doing, they developed the 6th gen Cargo Fighter, by Hasbro!
 
That ship looks like a “quick sink” testing platform to me.
They have no chances to defend anyway, so they defend only by flag and the color of grey hull.

Arguably an outdated approach for them, but in 1989-2024 world it was OK for them.
 
This thread brings up fond (inverse) memories of the 1966 techno thriller novel "Tree Frog" by Martin Woodhouse - plus ça change...
 
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Well at least that Qaher thing got @BullpupRafale banned. Hopefully this will teach him some politness. Some people cannot help being rude (to use polite words). Good riddance, we don't want that kind of A-hole here.
 
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Lets say these things are real and it is not just for show. (Therefore ignoring the adhesive tapes and the “No Push” rudder hinges)
How would these drones make sense?
Obviously they would like to have a jet engine and some avionics under the cockpit replacement – making them too expensive for a suicide drone.
They focused on stealth, for me that means the need for an internal weapons bay. But having a weapons bay on this little drone would reduce the area for the internal tank quite significantly, am I wrong?

In conclusion, ideally we have a stealthy drone with limited range (and bound to a converted tanker) but wants to be operated in contested territory. What am I missing?
 


Can we come back to reality?? "Iran's aircraft carrier, Iran's stealth fighter!" .... come on, we do not need to post any random stupid click-bait YT-video that just too eagerly picked up this nonsense and claimed it to be real!

Yes, we saw some 60% UAVs on deck of a converted tanker, we saw some tiny RC-models taking off from it but this does not make this vessel and aircraft carrier nor these UAVs an operational UCAV!

Really? Are we in the Kindergarden?? :mad:
 
Can we come back to reality?? "Iran's aircraft carrier, Iran's stealth fighter!" .... come on, we do not need to post any random stupid click-bait YT-video that just too eagerly picked up this nonsense and claimed it to be real!

Yes, we saw some 60% UAVs on deck of a converted tanker, we saw some tiny RC-models taking off from it but this does not make this vessel and aircraft carrier nor these UAVs an operational UCAV!

Really? Are we in the Kindergarden?? :mad:
Can we stop attacking my posts at every chance? Please practice being respectful.
 
My most surprising aspect of this thread? That people still post nonsense and call it news, that and it's still going at all.

Perhaps, locked and clocked is the answer?
 
Can we come back to reality?? "Iran's aircraft carrier, Iran's stealth fighter!" .... come on, we do not need to post any random stupid click-bait YT-video that just too eagerly picked up this nonsense and claimed it to be real!

Yes, we saw some 60% UAVs on deck of a converted tanker, we saw some tiny RC-models taking off from it but this does not make this vessel and aircraft carrier nor these UAVs an operational UCAV!

Really? Are we in the Kindergarden?? :mad:
With all due respect we`ve seen footage of the ababil 3 both taking off and landing from the ship,the ababil 3 is a ucav and there is footage of it both carrying and launching weapons to back this up.
Whatever you may feel about the 60% scale Q-313 I think this ship certainly fits the definition of a carrier
You can see in this video of the ababil 3 both its tail hook and the arrestor system used to stop it on landing.
You know I honestly have to say reading your above post reminds me more than a little of the,well shall we say "bias" you displayed when it came to the first pics of the dprks global hawk HALE look a like and MALE MQ9 look a like.
 
The ababil-3 is indeed real and much more interesting than the Qaher 313 drone. A Ship hold full of those would be useful power projection, except it doesn't seem to have any defences.
 
Abadil-3 - newsworthy.

But.

I think the umpteenth presentation of something Qaher 313-like is getting a bit tiresome to the SPF denizens. It is slightly novel to see the shape flying, be it at 60%(?) scale. It has been twelve years since I first saw images of the thing.

I have seen other shapes in the air, without jumping to conclusions about the technical prowess of their makers, or military application of the hardware shown.
View: https://youtu.be/MTnnXhcmSgY?si=RxYPOcrUvYYNY3La
 
The ababil-3 is indeed real and much more interesting than the Qaher 313 drone. A Ship hold full of those would be useful power projection, except it doesn't seem to have any defences.
If Ababil is real, it's not apparent why qaher isn't. Iranian PR set kinda unrealistic propaganda bar for themselves, but if we set a realistic one, there isn't all that much.
If country can build succesful MALE and(separately) small jet engines, it most certainly can match them together. Iran designs, tests and flies in combat jet drones/aircraft, for quite a while.
 
Can we stop attacking my posts at every chance? Please practice being respectful.

Well, yes for sure but respect in terms of content most be earned and as such for you only in case you stop posting nonsense - and to claim the Q-313 is a fifth generation fighter or to post such stupid videos claiming the same is nothing but nonsense!
 
Well, yes for sure but respect in terms of content most be earned and as such for you only in case you stop posting nonsense - and to claim the Q-313 is a fifth generation fighter or to post such stupid videos claiming the same is nothing but nonsense!
The first time (the fake Chinese stealth bomber clip) was a mistake and I am sorry for that. The India thing (except for the E variant for the Felon) ended up being true, and with this current situation I simply posted a video I thought was interesting. I didn't do it to force any claim; I merely posted a video I found that gave some information. Believe me, I am very critical of Iran over the countries human rights record and supporting of more violent regimes, but I still wanted to post a video that was informative. Honestly, saying it is fifth gen as advertised is more neutral than trying to critique it. I think in the era of battling media outlets with different narratives I like to post things as they are presented by other countries. We can post things on this message board then debate that true authenticity in a way that isn't hurtful to anyone.
 
97577b1a6465386bb220bf7aef7e7ea3.jpg

Interestingly I`ve noticed that there appears to be some obvious differences between the 60% scale Q-313 UCAVs.
The one at the top of the picture has a very different nose profile compared to the other 2,which look to have been shortened with better blending of the canopy.The intake design also looks slightly different as well.
One of the most obvious is the difference in design of the landing gear struts and the repositioning of the front gear in the other 2 examples,one can see that the gear looks to be roughly positioned towards the back of the duct in front of the intake,whereas with the top example the gear looks to be positioned much closer to the front of the duct.
Perhaps the top one is the prototype with the other 2 examples being the pre-production models?.
 
97577b1a6465386bb220bf7aef7e7ea3.jpg

Interestingly I`ve noticed that there appears to be some obvious differences between the 60% scale Q-313 UCAVs.
The one at the top of the picture has a very different nose profile compared to the other 2,which look to have been shortened with better blending of the canopy.The intake design also looks slightly different as well.
One of the most obvious is the difference in design of the landing gear struts and the repositioning of the front gear in the other 2 examples,one can see that the gear looks to be roughly positioned towards the back of the duct in front of the intake,whereas with the top example the gear looks to be positioned much closer to the front of the duct.
Perhaps the top one is the prototype with the other 2 examples being the pre-production models?.
See my list of differences here: https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...hter-jet-and-drone-versions.18332/post-753937 Though I missed the shifted nose gear position.

The long-nose appears to have completely different landing gear, with a neater integrated tie-down point on the trailing link, while the other two resort to wrapping the tie-down strap around the leg. So which is newer?
 
See my list of differences here: https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...hter-jet-and-drone-versions.18332/post-753937 Though I missed the shifted nose gear position.

The long-nose appears to have completely different landing gear, with a neater integrated tie-down point on the trailing link, while the other two resort to wrapping the tie-down strap around the leg. So which is newer?
Excellent work with your list,I`m sorry I missed that but in all honesty for the most part I`ve avoided this topic as I was just expecting the usual bullshit and frankly I couldnt really be bothered wading through it,so I was pleasantly surprised with some of the content that I did find.
You make an excellent point with the tie down arrangement for the front mounted link,I missed that.
I`m still somewhat inclined to think that the two with the shorter noses are the pre production models if only because the long nose reminds me of the manned versions nose [somewhat] and it also had the forward facing link of the front gear.But who really knows?.
I guess we`ll just have to wait and see.I`m certainly looking forward to it.
 
Mods please remove if neccessary as its only speculation and accept my apologies for same

Just looking at those page and pages of F-47 speculative configuration posts here on SP. ... just musing, could part of the reason the little Iranian Q313 mockup was/is so denigrated by the US. is because it presented a configuration to what the US is working on for its new '5th Gen.' and is similar to the oh so secret BoP. sized demonstrator supposedly flown ?
 
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just musing, could part of the reason the little Iranian Q313 mockup was/is so denigrated by the US. is because it presented a configuration to what the US is working on for its new '5th Gen.' and is similar to the oh so secret BoP. sized demonstrator supposedly flown ?
The F-35 was the last fifth generation fighter designed by the United States, after that comes the generational leap to the sixth generation F-47.

Was for the Iranian thingy, I don't see much BoP in it aside from the wing tips angling down. If anything the Q313 looks like Lockheeds JAST demo, just smaller (ironically tbh).
f-35-with-canards-v0-xafgscwbd3h91.jpg
To me it's rather obvious that they looked at features deemed futuristic. Like faceted fuselage, canards, downward canted tips, in order to create a mock up/sub scale demonstrator/whatever that looks "futuristic and cool". And now they're trying to make it functional after the fact, by using it as a template for a UAV. Truth be told though, a stealthy Shahed/Geranium variant would be more useful and impressive.

Either way, I wouldn't think about comparing this thing to anything from the US but subscale mock ups and demos. But going as far as linking it to next generation fighters? I think you're being far too generous here, and I say that as someone who thinks the Iranians get often underestimated.
 
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Honestly I think in terms of UCAVs Iran could benefit from something like the Kratos (RATO) where it’s able to be launched from almost anywhere, has some LO characteristics and can launch at least 2 AA missiles, to break up Israeli formations over Iraq either for a kill or a mission abort.

Or a weapons carrier (similar to the one in development) to achieve something similar while assisting the SU-35s. They’ll never be able to match IAF AirPower but being able to have something locally manufactured and not just a OWA drone would a low for better defence of their airspace.
 
They’ll never be able to match IAF AirPower
To be honest, matching IAF so far away from home shouldn't even be that much of a task.
It just again says how much of a disaster summer war was for Iran.
 
To be honest, matching IAF so far away from home shouldn't even be that much of a task.
It just again says how much of a disaster summer war was for Iran.
Well in terms of quality yeah it shouldn't, with the SU-35s on order (48) it could help improve air defense assuming they have good networking capability, problem is the F-35s
 
Well in terms of quality yeah it shouldn't, with the SU-35s on order (48) it could help improve air defense assuming they have good networking capability, problem is the F-35s
I looked at it not so much as technical task, but on conditions level.

IAI operates 1-2 thousands kms away from home, i.e. it's:

-vulnerable to airbase disruption both in and out
-requires pre-positioned intermediate nodes, operating over neutral territory(tankers)
-relies significantly over patchy external battlespace picture, b/c its or even friendly large recon assets are outside Iran, and it's just a big mountainous country

It's just a very extended force, coming periodically in and out again and again.
 
Any news about these little things? If you have stealthy drones with limited range... I would think now would be the right time to use them.
 
A larger drone of the Qaher 313, known as the 60-SN for 60% of the Qaher 313 (25-SN is the designation for the smaller version of JAS 313 naval drone) was shown on the Shahid Bagheri before it was destroyed earlier in March. (https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/...rrier-basedjas313-drone-boost-iran-navy-power)
I believe it was photoshoped. Since the conflict, US and allied forces have targeted Iran's drone making facilities, the Qaher 313 may be no more. I would doubt seeing anything on the topic from Iran until the conflict is over.
 

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Mockup 'may' have been spotted in March prior to Israeli-US campaign as reported by x.com. However, as mention before, the 'program' (which IMHO is a pipe dream at best and a propaganda ploy at the least), and any of its assets, are likely destroyed.
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Same thoughts here Dynoman about the Qaher-313, it was probably destroyed in the initial bombings last week.
 
Sorry for the ambiguity. The emphasis on 'may' was to indicate that I can not verify the authenticity of the photo as it was posted on x.com, the other emphasis was on 'program,' as its true nature, i.e. a propaganda campaign or an actual defense program is still the subject of debate.
 
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As if not enough, bigger ones themselves are different.
Tied down with 2x or maybe 4x ratchet-straps, not chains.

Those are lighter than a Cessna 172. So we're talking about a gross weight under 2500lbs.



Lets say these things are real and it is not just for show. (Therefore ignoring the adhesive tapes and the “No Push” rudder hinges)
How would these drones make sense?
Obviously they would like to have a jet engine and some avionics under the cockpit replacement – making them too expensive for a suicide drone.
They focused on stealth, for me that means the need for an internal weapons bay. But having a weapons bay on this little drone would reduce the area for the internal tank quite significantly, am I wrong?
The wings are pretty thick, it would be able to carry a decent fuel load in the wings.
 

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