Iran Unveiled New Arash-3 Drone With Payload of Up to 150 kg

Iran announced the production of the new Arash-3 strike drone. One of the main changes is the increase in the payload capacity.

The drone was presented by Amir Hatami, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, in a Rasadkadeh report.

While the payload weight in the previous version was approximately 50 kg, in the Arash-3 this figure has reportedly increased to 100–150 kg.

It was also announced that guidance accuracy has been improved through the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies. The drone is equipped with a piston engine. Solid-fuel boosters are used for takeoff.

As reported in the segment, the modernization includes expanding the range of GPS-independent navigation systems and increasing their variety.

In addition, the warhead incorporates incendiary and explosive materials.

“These improvements make it possible to increase the potential damage caused by the drone by approximately 2.3 times,” the Iranian military stated.

Arash-2

The previous version of the drone, called the Arash-2, was developed in Iran in the early 2020s as a further development of the earlier Arash-1 drone.

The drone’s design includes two solid-fuel launch boosters, which enable launch from a launch platform and subsequent transition to cruise flight mode.

According to available data, the drone’s cruise speed can reach approximately 100 km/h.

The drone’s total length is estimated at approximately 4.5 meters, and its wingspan is about 4 meters.

It is reported that the Arash-2’s flight range can reach 2,000 kilometers.

The Arash-2 may have been transferred to Russia. In 2022, it became known that Iran might have sent instructors to Russia to train personnel on the use of the Arash-2 UAV.

In 2025, an Iranian Arash-2 kamikaze drone, which might have flown in from Russia, crashed in Kazakhstan.