Basic Information

Name

Mohajer-4 (Hodhod) Iranian Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

Designation

Mohajer-4

Alternate Designation

Mohajer-4; Hodhod

Equipment Type

—

Manufacturer

Qods Aviation

Date of Introduction

1997

Description

HEZBOLLAH Proliferation. The Mohajer-4 is another evolutionary improvement over the Mohajer-1 and the Mohajer-2. with again improved range, endurance, and surveillance. Also known as the Hodhod, the Mohajer-4 has a larger box-like fuselage. The Mohajer-4 was designed for both the Iranian Army and the IRGC and entered service in late 1997. The wings are tapered with an upward cranked tip. The static skids of the Mohajer-2 are replaced with flexible ones in a tricycle configuration. Composite materials are used in its construction. The Mohajer-4 was designed for both the Iranian Army and the IRGC and entered service in late 1997. It may have entered mass production in 1999. It was first documented in 2003. Sources differ slightly on how many have been built; one source says that 40 have been built as of 2006, while another says that as of the mid-2000s, 34 had been built. Design The Mohajer-4 features a squarish body and low-mounted trapezoidal wings with upward-canted wingtips to lessen drag. It is powered by a two-bladed Limbach L550E four-cylinder, two-stroke 50 hp engine in a pusher configuration. The Mohajer-4 is constructed of composite material. It is 3.64 m long and has a wingspan of 5.3 m. The Mohajer-4 has a modular design, and components such as the body, wings, and tail booms can be detached and recombined. It has three landing skids. The Mohajer-4 can land via landing gear or a parachute. The Mohajer-4 has a Hyarat 3 guidance and control system, which includes GPS navigation. It normally follows a preprogrammed flight path, but its mission profile can also be updated in-flight via a radio uplink. The Mohajer-4 has a fixed forward-facing camera for navigation and either a downward-facing camera for aerial surveying or a gimbal-mounted video camera for surveillance. Sources disagree on whether the Mojajer-4 can carry an infrared camera. Like the Mohajer-2, it has an onboard digital processor and can downlink sensor imagery. The Mohajer-4 is also reportedly capable of being fitted for communications relay and has an 'impressive' electronic warfare capability. Operational History: On November 7, 2004, Hezbollah flew a UAV over northern Israel for about 5 minutes. The UAV entered Israeli airspace at more than 100 knots and an altitude of about 1,000 feet, flew briefly over the seaside city of Nahariya and fell into the sea. Some sources have identified the UAV as a Mohajer-4. There are reports that Iran sold eight Mohajer-4s to Hezbollah. Mohajer-4s have been used in the civil wars in Iraq and Syria. On 16 May 2015, the Turkish Air Force shot down a Mohajer-4 that violated its airspace. Mohajer-4s have also crashed or been shot down, over Islamic State-held territories. A Mohajer-4 in Iraqi markings was downed over Iraq, but it is not clear if the UAV was actually being operated by the Iraqi Armed Forces. Mohajer-4s are located at Iran's Konorak Air Base and at Bandar Jack. There is a designation of the Mohajer-4 called "Shahin", which may be a sub-variant with unknown differences, or a designation for the Mohajer-4 in Iranian Army Ground service. There is also another sub-variant with unknown differences called the "Hodhod A/100". In addition, Mohajer-4s are used by Iran's border guard to interdict drug smuggling.

Air & Air Defense Specifications

Crew 2

Engine Four-cylinder, two-stroke 50 hp engine (50 hp)

Endurance 7.00 hrs

Variants

Mohajer-1 The Mohajer was Iran's first drone to enter series production and was used during the Iran–Iraq War. The Mohajer-1 was known simply as "Mohajer" through the 80s and 90s when it was re-designated "Mohajer-1" as other Mohajer variants had been developed.

Mohajer-2 Following the successful use of the Mohajer-1, Iran wanted a version with more range and endurance. This version, which would later be named the Mohajer-2, also had an auto pilot system to fly beyond the line-of-control of its command center.

Mohajer-2N In 2014, Iran introduced the Mohajer-2N, which shares the same design as the Mohajer-2 but has far improved performance. The Mohajer-2N replaces the electronics of the Mohajer-2 with more modern versions and has also has improved flight characteristics.

Mohajer-3 The Mohajer-3, also known as the Dorna, was designed with a new airframe for better performance. It had a square body and featured a low-mounted horizontal stabilizer flush with the main wing, the only member of the Mohajer family configured this way.

Mohajer-4B Also known as the Sadiq, the Mohajer-4B is a significant evolution of the Mohajer-4 platform with a square fuselage, twin tail booms, a top-mounted horizontal stabilizer, wingtips, new landing skids, and straight wings mounted high and to the mid of the body

Sadegh-1 The Sadegh-1 ("Honest-1"), also known as the QOM-1, is simply a Mohajer-4B with two MANPADS mounted on pylons.It was tested in late 2014.

Mohajer-6 The Qods Mohajer-6 is a persistent ISTAR UAV capable of carrying a multispectral surveillance payload and/or up-to two precision-guided munitions. Ten have been manufactured as of February 2018 for the IRGC Ground Forces, and 40 are planned for the IRGC Navy. The Mohajer-6 complements the larger Shahed 129 operated by the third IRGC branch, the IRGC-ASF. Three have also been delivered to the Iranian Army. The Mohajer-6 has a rectangular fuselage, an upwards-sloping nose, twin tail booms, a top-mounted horizontal stabilizer, uncanted wingtips, straight wings mounted high and to the rear of the body, and air intakes on the top and bottom of the engine. The Mohajer-6 is controlled by two elevators on the horizontal stabilizer, rudders on the vertical stabilizers, and two flaps per wing. Unlike other Mohajer variants, it has a three-bladed propeller. The Mohajer-6 has a wingspan of 10 meters and is 5.67 meters long. It is similar in shape to the Selex ES Falco. The Mohajer-6 has fixed tricycle landing gear, which underwent changes between the unveiling ceremony in 2017 and mass production in 2018, perhaps to accommodate more weight. It is launched and recovered via runway takeoff/landing. It has a fixed, forward-facing camera for navigation and a gimbal on the chin for a laser range finder and multispectral IR and visible light electro-optical imagery. The Mohajer-6 has three antennas, two on its left-wing and one on its right, and a pitot tube on its nose. The Mohajer-6 has two hardpoints, one under each wing, which can each carry one Qaem TV/IR-guided missile. It has an autopilot system capable of automatic takeoff and landing. In addition, Iran describes it as capable of being fitted with electronic support measures, communications jamming, or electronic warfare payloads.

System

Alternative Designation Mohajer-4; Hodhod

Type of UAV Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

Proliferation Iran: IRGC, Islamic Republic Ground Forces, Syria. Non-state Actors: Hezbolla and libyan National Army.

Manufacturer Qods Aviation, Tehran

Family Mohajer family

In Service 1997-Present

Flight Control Method The Mohajer-4 has a Hyarat 3 guidance and control system, which includes GPS navigation

Day/Night Capable INA

All Weather Capable INA

Takeoff or Landing Limitations INA

Ground Crew Crew of 5-7 men, including two operators. Capable of being controlled via land crew or autopilot

Autopilot Yes, which controls the aircraft via waypoints

Endurance 7 hours

Range 150 km

Date Transmit Distance INA

Location Positioning System Yes

Launch System PL3 pneumatic catapult

Recovery System Skid Landing or Parachute

Number of Hard Points 6 ea

Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) Capable No

Automatic Landing and Takeoff Capability No

Landing Gear three fixed landing gear for launch and recovery

Stabilizer Horizontal stabilizer

Antenna Type two stub antenna in the under 10 GHz range, one on each wing, for real-time control.

Note #1 Designed for surveillance use

Dimensions

Length 3.64 m

Width (Wing Span) 5.3 m

Height INA

Weight, Maximum Takeoff 175 kg

Weight, Empty 70 kg

Tailbooms Twin

Wing Type low-mounted trapezoidal wings with upward-canted wingtips to lessen drag

Tail Type Horizontal tail

Note The Mohajer-4 has a modular design, and components such as the body, wings, and tailbooms can be detached and recombined.

Automotive

Engine Name Limbach L550E four-cylinder, two-stroke 50 hp engine

Engine Type Four-cylinder, two-stroke 50 hp engine

Engine Power 50 hp

Cruising Range 150 km

Speed, Maximum 200 km/h

Speed, Average INA

Endurance 7 hours

Maximum Ceiling 5,486 m

Radius 50 km

Cargo Capacity (Payload) 15 kg

Propellers 2-bladed

Rudders Twin Rudders

Belly Skid Yes, The belly skids are non-retractable, but can compress on landing to reduce shock

Communications

Radio INA

Retrans Radio INA

Main Weapons System

Name Hydra 70

Type Unguided Rocket

In Service INA

Manufacturer INA

Proliferation WIdely Proliferated. The Hydra is widely used by US and allied forces, competing with the Canadian CRV-7, with which it is physically interchangeable.

Guidance System Unguided Rocket

Length 1,060 mm

Diameter 70 mm

Weight 6.2 kg

Muzzle Velocity 700 m/s

Effective Firing Range 8,000 m

Maximum Firing Range 10,500 m

Speed 739 m/s

Basic Load 2 ea

Fire Control

Fire Control System Type INA

Fire Control Radar No

Radar Type INA

Radar Designator INA

Laser Rangefinder INA

Laser Designator INA

Full-Motion Video Yes, video and infrared with 1-m resolution mounted on the forward part of the fuselage

Still Camera static nose-mounted camera

Thermal Imaging Sensors INA

Electro Optical Pod INA

Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) Sensors. Yes

Onboard Digital Processor Yes, which can downlink sensor imagery

Navigation Camera Fixed forward-facing camera for navigation

Surveillanc Camera Either a downward-facing camera for aerial surveying or a gimbal-mounted video camera for surveillance

GPS Enabled Yes

Guidance System Hyarat 3 guidance and control system

Data Link Yes, data link that can downlink imagery in real time

Note A line-scanner is provided, which reportedly can provide 3-ft (1-m) resolution at an altitude of 16,400 ft (5,000 m)

Protection

Fuselage Larger box-like fuselage

Stealth Properties No

Heat Signature Reduction No

Add on Armor No

EW No

EW Counter Measures / CCM No

Counter Measures (Chaffs/Flares) No

Image Sources

Notes https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2019/07/20/601386/Iran-drone-Mohajer; http://www.navaldrones.com/Mohajer-4.html; https://www.suasnews.com/2012/02/is-the-uas-flying-over-syria-from-iran/;