Shahed-238

Reference data current as of March 2026.

The Shahed-238 represents a significant capability jump over the piston-engine Shahed-136. Powered by a turbojet engine (PBS TJ150 or domestic Toloue-10), it cruises at 500 km/h and can reach 700 km/h in terminal dive — roughly 2.7 times faster than the Shahed-136's 185 km/h. This higher speed reduces defender reaction time and makes interception significantly harder. The Shahed-238 comes in three seeker variants: GPS-guided (baseline), infrared imaging (IIR) for autonomous terminal guidance against heat-emitting targets, and radio-frequency (RF) for guidance against radar emitters. The IR and RF variants can operate independently of GPS in the terminal phase, mitigating the GNSS jamming vulnerability that plagues the Shahed-136. Known as "Geran-3" in Russian service, it shares the basic Shahed airframe for logistics commonality.

• ~2.7x faster than the Shahed-136 — significantly reduces defender reaction time
• Three seeker variants (GPS, IR, RF) for different target types
• IR and RF seekers enable autonomous terminal guidance independent of GPS
• Shared airframe with Shahed-136 simplifies logistics and production
• Flight ceiling comparable to combat aircraft (~30,000 ft)
• Still relatively cheap ($40K–$80K) despite jet propulsion

The Shahed-238 has been used by Russia against Ukraine (designated Geran-3) and by Iran in 2026 operations. Its higher speed and autonomous terminal seekers make it a more capable threat than the Shahed-136, particularly against time-sensitive targets and in GNSS-denied environments. In True Promise operations, the Shahed-238 has been employed as a complement to slower Shahed-136 salvos, adding a faster, harder-to-intercept layer to drone swarms.

• Wikipedia — Shahed 238
• Defence-UA — Shahed-238 Technical Analysis