Broadcast footage from subterranean Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh) UAV manufacturing and storage facilities has revealed an upgraded variant of the Arash long-range loitering munition family, designated in defense reporting as the “Arash-3.”
Inspected on-site by Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Amir Hatami, the system updates the baseline Arash-1 and Arash-2 configurations. The update doubles the high-explosive warhead payload from 50 kilograms to 100 kilograms. Built for long-range point strike, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and anti-radiation missions, the Arash-3 incorporates satellite-independent guidance architecture, multi-mode terminal optical sensors, and option packages for turbojet or piston propulsion. The subterranean facility display highlights Iran’s effort to preserve its long-range strike capacity and domestic mass production of loitering munitions within hardened, deep-underground infrastructure.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: IRANIAN ARMY ARASH-3 LOITERING MUNITION PLATFORM
Developer, Operator & Production Infrastructure
⚡ Lead Integrator & Operator: Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh) — Ground Forces & Air Defense Force
⚡ Manufacturing Location: Hardened Underground Drone Production & Storage Infrastructure
⚡ Operational Lineage: Evolution of the Arash-1 / Arash-2 long-range loitering munition baseline 
Upgraded Payload & Lethality Metrics
💥 Warhead Mass Expansion: Increased from 50 kg baseline payload to 100 kg (220 lb) high-explosive (HE) blast-fragmentation warhead
💥 Explosive Compound Composition: Formulated with insensitive high-explosive (HE) aluminized mixtures optimized for high-overpressure blast and structural demolition
💥 Fuze Mechanism Options: Multi-mode impact contact, delayed penetration, and RF proximity airburst fuzes
Airframe Geometry & Propulsion Mechanics
🚀 Airframe Configuration: Swept-wing delta layout with double-vertical tail stabilizers and a pusher-propeller / jet-intake fuselage architecture
🚀 Propulsion Options: Standard reciprocating piston engine (for max-range propeller variants) or turbojet/jet engine configuration (for high-speed intercept and radar-evasion profiles)
🚀 Range & Operational Radius: Estimated max operational reach of 1,500 km to 2,000 km (retaining long-range strategic reach across Mideast theaters)
🚀 Flight Speed Envelope: Cruising speed ~180–220 km/h (piston variant) | Dash speed >400–500 km/h (turbojet variant)
Guidance, Navigation & Counter-Jamming Suite
🚀 Navigation Architecture: Multi-source INS/GNSS coupled with satellite-independent (GPS-denied) visual odometry and AI-assisted terrain-matching sensors
🚀 Terminal Homing Options: Electro-Optical / Infrared (EO/IR) camera gimbals for visual target recognition, alongside Passive Anti-Radiation Homing (ARH) seekers targeting active air defense radars
🚀 Electronic Warfare (EW) Resilience: Multi-channel anti-jamming antenna arrays built to resist heavy GNSS spoofing and directional RF jamming
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The preview of the upgraded Arash-3 loitering munition with a 100 kg warhead demonstrates an ongoing effort to increase the terminal lethality of Iran’s long-range strike inventory. While early iterations of the Shahed and Arash families relied on 20–50 kg warheads—effective against soft targets, radars, and unhardened structures—doubling the payload capacity to 100 kg gives the Arash-3 structural destruction power against reinforced command bunkers, hardened ammunition depots, and critical industrial infrastructure.
From an engineering and operational standpoint, upgrading to a 100 kg warhead requires adjustments to the airframe’s center of gravity, structural load limits, and engine thrust profile. Combining this expanded payload with GPS-independent navigation and optional jet propulsion addresses the vulnerabilities of earlier delta-wing drones to electronic warfare jamming and kinetic point defenses. Mass-producing these systems inside hardened underground facilities ensures production continuity against pre-emptive counter-strikes, providing Artesh forces with a heavy, long-range deep-strike asset.
