Shahed-131

Reference data current as of March 2026.

The Shahed-131 is the smaller, lighter variant within the Shahed one-way attack drone family. At 135 kg total weight and a 15 kg warhead, it carries significantly less destructive power than the Shahed-136 (200 kg / 50 kg warhead), but compensates with even lower unit cost and the ability to pack more airframes per launcher truck. Known as "Geran-1" in Russian service, it uses the same basic navigation system (INS + civilian GNSS) and delta-wing airframe concept as the Shahed-136, sharing logistics and launcher infrastructure. Its primary role is as a volume contributor in saturation attacks — adding to the total number of targets that defenders must engage.

• Lighter and shorter-range variant of the Shahed-136 family
• Used in saturation attacks alongside Shahed-136 to maximise target count for defenders
• Known as Geran-1 in Russian service (Ukraine conflict)
• Smallest warhead (15 kg) in the Shahed OWA family
• Shares launcher infrastructure with Shahed-136 for logistics simplicity

First used in combat in September 2022 in Ukraine under the Russian designation Geran-1. In the Iran-Israel conflict, the Shahed-131 has been employed alongside its larger Shahed-136 sibling in massed drone salvos across True Promise operations. Its smaller warhead limits individual destructive effect, but its low cost and ease of mass production make it a key component of Iran's attrition-based approach to air defence saturation.

• Wikipedia — HESA Shahed 136 (covers Shahed-131 family)