HESA Ababil#Twin-tail variant

The early history of the Ababil is unclear. Jane's reports that the Ababil program was begun at Qods Aviation Industries in 1986 and the first delivery was in 1993. Iranian military expert Galen Wright writes that the program began at Iran Electronics Industries in the mid-1980s and began mass production in 1986, with possible use in the Iran–Iraq War.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

The Ababil is built in a number of poorly documented variants.{{efn|A number of sources report a spurious "Ababil-5" designation based on a misreading of the name Ababil-S.}}

The Ababil-1 was an obscure loitering munition built in the 1980s. Its specifications are not known, there are no known photographs, and it is unknown if it was ever used in combat. It is believed to be out of service.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

One source writes that the Ababil-1 was essentially a prototype or preproduction version of the Ababil-2. It is described as a suicide drone with 40 kg of explosives.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pahpad.com/fa/news/348/%da%86%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%85%db%8c%d9%86-%d9%82%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%aa-%d9%be%d9%87%d9%be%d8%a7%d8%af%db%8c-%d8%af%d9%86%db%8c%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d8%b2-%d8%b3%db%8c%d9%86%d9%85%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d8%a7-%d8%ac%d9%87%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%86%d9%85%d8%a7|title=چهارمین قدرت پهپادی دنیا ؛ از سینما تا جهان نما|first=موسسه پرنده های هدایت پذیر از|last=دور|website=موسسه پرنده های هدایت پذیر از دور}}

File:Ababil.png

The Ababil-2 has an improved flight-control system. Jane's reports that the Ababil-2 had its first flight in 1997 while Galen Wright writes that it entered production in 1992. Both sources agree the Ababil-2 was publicly revealed in 1999. Some sources also designate the Ababil-2 as the Ababil-II.

File:AbibilUAV.png

The Ababil-2 has a cylindrical fuselage, a sweptback vertical fin, and a pusher engine. It is powered by a simple two-bladed pusher propeller with a rear-mounted wing and a front canard for good stall, stability and maneuverability characteristics. All variants have a range of over 100 km{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} and all variants have all-metal construction, except for the Ababil-T, which is composite (fiberglass).{{cite book |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft: Unmanned 2014–2015 |year=2014|editor=Martin Streetly|publisher=IHS Jane's|location=London|isbn=978-0-7106-3096-4|pages=79–80}}

The Ababil-2 can be launched from a zero-length JATO platform or a Mercedes Benz 911 pneumatic truck launcher. The rocket launch system can be used from a ship deck and can be assembled or broken down for portability. For recovery, a parachute provides a descent rate of 4 m/s, or skids can be used for conventional landings on a runway or field. Some airframes have also been seen with landing gear.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

The most common Ababil-2 variant is a target drone variant used for training air-defense crews. The name of Ababil variants is unclear, but Jane's reports that this variant is called the Ababil-B. The Ababil-B's mission payloads are acoustic miss-distance-indicators, Infrared devices, and radar reflectors. This variant is the oldest Ababil-2 variant and it apparently entered service in 2001.Interavia: Business & Technology, Issues 649-659 (2001)

File:Ababil-B 2006.jpg

The name of the Ababil-2 surveillance variant is similarly unclear,{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} but Jane's reports that this is called the Ababil-S. Some sources may also designate this the Ababil-R.{{cite web|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/iranian-made-ababil-t-hezbollah-uav-shot-down-by-israeli-fighter-in-lebanon-208400/|title=Iranian-made Ababil-T Hezbollah UAV shot down by Israeli fighter in Lebanon crisis|date=15 August 2006|publisher=Flight Global|author=Peter La Franchi|location=London}} Galen Wright assesses it as having "only rudimentary" surveillance capabilities in contrast to other intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance UAVs.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

The Ababil-2 also exists in a twin-tail short/medium-range attack variant, which some (but not all) sources name the Ababil-T. This variant can be fitted with surveillance, target drone, or disposable strike munition payloads.{{Cite web|url=https://etanasyria.org/policy-brief-disrupting-the-syrian-regimes-domestic-weapons-programs-may-2023/|title=Policy Brief: Disrupting the Syrian Regime's Domestic Weapons Programs – May 2023|date=29 May 2023 }} It is probably coterminous with the Mirsad-1 UAV operated by Hezbollah and may have been renamed Qasef-1 in Houthi service.

The Ababil-CH has two rear tails, like the Ababil-T, but is used as a target drone like the Ababil-B. It is slightly larger than the Ababil-T.

The Qasef-1 and Qasef-2K loitering munition versions are based on the Ababil-2 airframe and has a 30-kg warhead.{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/article/68423/yemeni-rebels-display-uavs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302184730/http://www.janes.com/article/68423/yemeni-rebels-display-uavs|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 March 2017|title=Yemeni rebels display UAVs|date=2 March 2017|publisher=IHS Jane's|author=Jeremy Binnie|location=London}} It has been solely operated by Yemeni Houthis, who have mostly used it to attack the radar components of MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles.{{cite web|url=http://www.conflictarm.com/download-file/?report_id=2465&file_id=2467|title='Kamikaze' drones used by Houthi forces to attack Coalition missile defence systems|publisher=Conflict Armament Research|date=March 2017}} The Qasef-1 has been in use since late 2016 and some examples have been intercepted in transit to Yemen. It is possibly a renamed or modified Ababil-T with an installed explosive charge or a warhead.

The Houthis claim that they manufacture Qasef-1s themselves, but this claim has been disputed and there is widespread suspicion that it is Iranian-built.

File:Ababil-3.jpg

The Ababil-3 is a complete redesign of the Ababil with an improved airframe used solely for surveillance: it carries better equipment and can stay aloft for longer.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} Some sources also designate the Ababil-3 as the Ababil-III. The Ababil-3 is thought to be based on the South African Denel Dynamics Seeker, and possibly the Seeker-2D model in particular. It is more widely exported than the Ababil-2, and is known to have entered production by 2008,{{cite web | url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/iran%E2%80%99s-ababil-3-drone-might-be-bribe-south-african-telecom-company-139057 | title=The National Interest: Blog }} with specific parts manufactured by 2006.{{cite web | url=https://www.uasvision.com/2020/04/02/is-irans-ababil-3-a-bribe-from-a-south-african-telco/ | title=Is Iran's Ababil 3 a Bribe from a South African Telco ? | UAS VISION | date=2 April 2020 }} It was officially unveiled in 2010.[https://web.archive.org/web/20240207183139/https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2024/feb/02/roster-iran%E2%80%99s-drones Roster of Iran's Drones]

File:Ababil III video sample.jpg

The Ababil-3 has a cylindrical body, with wings mounted on top while at the end of the body is an H-shaped twin boom. The wing design is a rectangle which after half its lengths tapers toward the wing tips. The Ababil-3's wingspan is about 7 meters, compared to 3 meters for the Ababil-2.{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/article/50922/hizbullah-airstrip-revealed|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718124644/http://www.janes.com/article/50922/hizbullah-airstrip-revealed|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 July 2015|title=Hizbullah airstrip revealed |date=23 April 2015|publisher=IHS Jane's Defence Weekly |author=Nicholas Blanford|location=Beirut}} It uses an engine from German company Limbach Flugmotoren.{{cite web|url=http://www.generalbundesanwalt.de/de/showpress.php?newsid=467|title=Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof: Pressemitteilung|website=www.generalbundesanwalt.de|date=20 February 2013|access-date=23 September 2018|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330114943/http://www.generalbundesanwalt.de/de/showpress.php?newsid=467|url-status=dead}} Other sources suggest the Ababil-3 is powered by Chinese or Iranian clones of the L550.{{cite web|url=https://www.uskowioniran.com/2014/01/pahpad-ab-3-uav-powerplant.html|title=Pahpad AB-3 UAV powerplant|first=Mark|last=Pyruz}} Other particular parts inside the Ababil-3 were sourced from Irish defense contractors.{{cite web|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/parts-made-by-irish-manufacturer-found-in-sudan-drone-426669-Apr2012/|title=Parts made by Irish manufacturer found in Sudan drone - reports|first=Jennifer|last=Wade|website=TheJournal.ie|date=24 April 2012 }}

File:Qasef-1 composition.jpg

Analysis of an Ababil-3 downed over ISIS-held territory in Iraq, apparently due to mechanical failure, finds that the Ababil-3 is built out of composite materials.{{cite web|url=http://inteloniran.blogspot.com/2017/02/technical-commentary-on-captured.html|title=Intel on Iran: Technical commentary on a captured Iranian UAV|first=Mark|last=Pyruz|date=13 February 2017}} The powerplant had plain-surfaced cylinder heads; it was unclear if the engine was manufactured in Iran or China. Overall, the manufacture was "very economical" and the Ababil-3 was designed for low cost. There were also a number of defects in the downed Ababil-3 model, which could suggest poor manufacture or handling in the field.

Ababil-3s are based at an airstrip outside of Minab, a town near Bandar Abbas.{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziere.ch/?p=27907|title=Drone Activity in Iran|author=Dan Gettinger|access-date=2018-12-31|archive-date=2020-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812185823/https://www.offiziere.ch/?p=27907|url-status=dead}} Ababil-3s are also known to be based at Bandar Abbas International Airport. The Ababil-3 is comparable with the RQ-2.

The Ababil-3's max airspeed is {{convert|200|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, its range is {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} (roundtrip), and it has a service ceiling of {{convert|5,000|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It has an endurance of 4 hours. An estimated 217 Ababil-3s have been built as of July 2019.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

In 2014 Iran announced that they had developed night vision capabilities for the Ababil-3.[http://www.armyrecognition.com/weapons_defence_industry_military_technology_uk/iranian-made_ababil-3_swallow-3_drone_is_now_equipped_with_night_vision_capability_0207143.html Iranian-made Ababil-3 Swallow-3 drone is now equipped with night vision capability] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712220001/http://www.armyrecognition.com/weapons_defence_industry_military_technology_uk/iranian-made_ababil-3_swallow-3_drone_is_now_equipped_with_night_vision_capability_0207143.html |date=2017-07-12 }} – Armyrecognition.com, 2 July 2014 Previous Ababil variants were most effective in daytime. As of 2020, Iran has armed versions of the Ababil-3 drone.{{Cite web|url=https://www.janes.com/article/95629/iran-unveils-armed-ababil-3-uav|title = Janes | Latest defence and security news}}

Ababil-3s have been extensively used in the Syrian Civil War. Syrian Armed Forces use it for targeting high-precision heavy artillery strikes with Krasnopol, and multiple ISTAR or combat drone roles. Also, they have been produced under license by the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center.

An Ababil-3 crashed or was brought down in Pakistani territory in July 2019.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

By 2022, Iran was using Ababil-4 in military exercises and military parades but released little information about it. This drone has longer range and duration than Ababil-3 and is used in reconnaissance and surveillance or combat roles.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-02 |title=Roster of Iran's Drones |url=https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2023/mar/02/roster-iran%E2%80%99s-drones |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306230918/https://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2023/mar/02/roster-iran%E2%80%99s-drones |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 6, 2023 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=The Iran Primer |language=en}}

File:Islamic Republic of Iran Army Day, 2022, Tehran (133).jpg

Ababil-5 was first unveiled on April 18, 2022 during the Iran Army Day. It has a Rotax-915 engine (or a similar model) with 141 horsepower. The Ababil-5 drone boasts a flight duration of 12 hours in combat mode, and up to 24 hours in reconnaissance mode. It can carry four guided anti-tank missiles ([https://english.iswnews.com/33104/military-knowledge-almas-missile/ Almas series]) with a range of 10 kilometers or six Qaem-1 precision-guided bombs ([https://english.iswnews.com/24911/military-knowledge-qaem-smart-bombs/ Qaem series]) weighing 12.5 kilograms with a range of 40 kilometers or four Qaem-5 weighing 20 kilograms with a range of 40 kilometers. The drone is used in reconnaissance and surveillance or combat roles.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-01 |title=Military Knowledge: Ababil-5 Reconnaissance Combat Drone |url=https://english.iswnews.com/24215/military-knowledge-ababil-5-irans-newest-drone-achievement/ |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=ISWNEWS.COM |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-05-08 |title=Ababil 5: Novel step forward in evolution of Ababil UAVs |url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/472386/Ababil-5-Novel-step-forward-in-evolution-of-Ababil-UAVs |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Tehran Times |language=en}}

File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Hezbollah UAV.jpg

Hezbollah acquired Ababil-2 drones (twin-tail variant) in 2002,{{cite news|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4221414,00.html|title=Hezbollah boosting drone unit|date=27 April 2012|newspaper=Ynetnews|author=Ronen Bergman}} and operated them under the Mirsad-1 designation. Israel has said that Hezbollah received at least 12 Ababils before the 2006 Lebanon War. Three Ababils were launched during the conflict.

The first Ababil was shot down by an Israeli F-16 on 7 August 2006 off the coast of Northern Israel. The second Ababil crashed inside Lebanon on 13 August. The third Ababil deployed by Hezbollah was shot down by another F-16 hours later just inside Israel's northern border.{{cite news |url=https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG835.html |title=Air operations in Israel's war against Hezbollah: learning from Lebanon and getting it right in Gaza |publisher=RAND Corporation |author=Lambeth, Benjamin S. |year=2011|access-date=14 August 2018}} Hezbollah was assessed as having several Ababil UAVs in 2009,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/07/israel-gaza|title=US embassy cable concerning arms smuggling into Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, titled "Countersmuggling Technical Discussion (part 2 of 4)"|work=theguardian.com|date=2009-11-18}} although other estimates have ranged from 12 to 24–30.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} By 2018, Hezbollah stated that the Mirsad-1 had been retired from service.{{cite web|url=http://central-media.org/33806/634|title=الإعلام الحربي المركزي-في ذكرى #نصر_تموز... قوة #المقاومة الجوية حاضرة في #مليتا|website=central-media.org}}

Hezbollah has also built a large airstrip in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. There is speculation that the airstrip could support larger, runway-launched Ababil-3 UAVs.{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/this-new-airstrip-could-be-home-to-hezbollah-s-drones-bdec97ff36a8|title=New Airstrip Could Be Home to Hezbollah's Drones|first=Adam|last=Rawnsley|date=25 April 2015|publisher=War is Boring}} Hezbollah is not definitively known to operate the Ababil-3.

The Ababil-3 is in service with Sudan. In 2008, an Ababil-3 crashed or was shot down while on a surveillance mission.{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/sudans-drones-are-dropping-like-flies-ffa1be165291|title=Sudan's Drones Are Dropping Like Flies|first=Peter|last=Dörrie|date=5 May 2014|publisher=War is Boring}}

On March 13, 2012, another Sudanese Ababil was lost in action near Toroji, South Kordofan.{{cite book|url=http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/fileadmin/docs/facts-figures/arms-ammunition-tracing-desk/HSBA-Tracing-Desk-SAF-weapons-SK.pdf|series=HSBA Arms and Ammunition Tracing Desk|title=SAF weapons documented in South Kordofan|publisher=Small Arms Survey|date=April 2012|page=3|access-date=2019-01-03|archive-date=2020-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022153116/http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/fileadmin/docs/facts-figures/arms-ammunition-tracing-desk/HSBA-Tracing-Desk-SAF-weapons-SK.pdf|url-status=dead}} Sudanese rebels of the SPLA-N said they downed it using ground fire, while the Sudanese government said it was due to mechanical failure.{{cite web|title= Warplanes: Iranian UAVs In Africa|url=http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20120318.aspx|access-date=9 April 2012|date=March 18, 2012}}

File:Ababil UAV.jpg

On 16 March 2009, an American F-16 operating in Iraq shot down an Iranian Ababil 3 drone on 25 February 2009 that had been flying through Iraqi airspace for "almost an hour and 10 minutes."{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7946758.stm |title=Iranian drone 'shot down in Iraq' |access-date=16 March 2009 |date=16 March 2009 |publisher=BBC News}} The drone crashed about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, 12 miles inside Iraqi territory near the town of Balad Ruz in Diyala Governorate. Officials at Iraq's Defence and Interior ministries suggested that the drone might have been scouting for routes to smuggle Iranian weapons into the country.Shadid, Anthony, "U.S. Downed Iranian Drone Over Iraq", The Washington Post, p. 9. The New York Times, however, speculated that the drone was monitoring Iranian dissidents in Iraq, such as those at Camp Ashraf, which is located near where the drone crashed.Nordland, Rod, and Alissa J. Rubin, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/world/middleeast/17iraq.html U.S. Says It Shot Down An Iranian Drone Over Iraq]", The New York Times, March 17, 2009. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Jassim, head of military operations at the Iraqi defence ministry stated that since the drone, "crossed 10 km into Iraq, it's most likely that its entrance was a mistake."{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7946758.stm |publisher=BBC News |title=Iranian drone 'shot down in Iraq' |date=March 16, 2009 |access-date=April 23, 2010}}

More recently, Ababil-3 UAVs have been used extensively in the Iraqi Civil War.{{cite journal |author=Lucas Winter |date=April 2015 |title=Special Look: Counter UAV. |journal=Operational Environment Watch: Foreign News & Perspectives of the Operational Environment |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=12 |publisher=Foreign Military Studies Office}} Their use began in summer 2014, shortly after the Fall of Mosul, from Rasheed Air Base.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/world/middleeast/iran-iraq.html|title=Iran Secretly Sending Drones and Supplies Into Iraq, U.S. Officials Say|work=New York Times|date=June 25, 2014|author=Michael R. Gordon and Eric Schmitt}}

Iran is the primary operator of Ababil UAVs. Iran operates large numbers of Ababil-2 UAVs, mostly for training air defense crews, and operates Ababil-3 UAVs for surveillance use.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Ababil-3 UAVs have been used in the Syrian Civil War since 2012.Dan Gettinger, (December 2016) Drones Operating in Syria and Iraq. Bard College They have been used by Syrian Army and are some of the most commonly used UAVs in the war.{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/a-bunch-of-iranian-drones-have-crashed-in-iraq-a7610cdb815b|title=A Bunch of Iranian Drones Have Crashed in Iraq|first=Adam|last=Rawnsley|date=14 February 2015|publisher=War is Boring}} They are especially commonly seen over Damascus.{{cite web|url=http://osimint.com/2014/01/08/uavs-over-syria/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027080129/http://osimint.com/2014/01/08/uavs-over-syria/|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 October 2014|title=UAVs Over Syria|date=27 October 2014|publisher=Open Source IMINT|author=Galen Wright}}

On 14 December 2014, Hamas militants flew an unmanned air vehicle over a parade in the Gaza Strip marking the 27th anniversary of the organization's establishment. Israeli sources identified the aircraft as an Iranian-made Ababil.{{cite web|title=Israel scrambles fighters as Hamas parades Ababil UAV|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israel-scrambles-fighters-as-hamas-parades-ababil-uav-407115/|date=15 December 2014|author=Arie Egozi|publisher=FlightGlobal}} Also used in the 2021 conflict.{{Cite web|title="So găng" dàn vũ khí uy lực đốt nóng chảo lửa Gaza của Israel - Hamas|date=16 May 2021 |url=https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/so-gang-dan-vu-khi-uy-luc-dot-nong-chao-lua-gaza-cua-israel-hamas-20210515162532761.htm}}

File:Qasef-1.jpg

Houthi rebels have operated Ababil-T loitering munitions under the name "Qasef-1" to target Saudi and Emirati radar batteries. According to the Houthis, a new variant of the drone named "Qasef-2K" has been designed to explode from a height of 20 meters in the air and rain shrapnel down on its target and has been used to kill 6 people in the coalition controlled Al Anad Air Base in Yemen.{{cite news|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190110-houthi-shiite-rebel-drone-kills-saudi-coalition-military-parade-yemen|title=Houthi rebel drone kills several at Saudi coalition military parade|publisher=France 24|date=10 January 2019}} Najran, 840 km southwest of Riyadh on the Saudi-Yemen border also has been receiving Houthi drone attacks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/yemen-houthi-rebels-attack-saudi-najran-airport-190523140308211.html|title = Yemen's Houthi rebels attack Saudi's Najran airport – again}}

After the Houthi attack on Saudi oil infrastructure on 14 September 2019, Saudi Arabia tasked F-15 fighter jets armed with missiles to intercept low flying drones, difficult to intercept with ground based high altitude missile systems like the MIM-104 Patriot{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iranian-backed-houthi-rebels-yemen-ramp-drone-missile-attacks-saudi-n1260488|title=Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen ramp up drone, missile attacks on Saudis|website=NBC News |date=12 March 2021 }} with several drones being downed since then.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39186/yemens-houthi-rebels-strike-airliner-in-new-drone-attack-on-saudi-airport|title=Yemen's Houthi Rebels Strike Airliner In New Drone Attack On Saudi Airport|first=Thomas|last=Newdick|date=February 10, 2021|website=The Drive}} On 7 March 2021, during a Houthi attack at several Saudi oil installations, Saudi F-15s shot down several attacking drones shot down using heatseeking AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, with video evidence showing at least two Samad-3 UAVs and one Qasef-2K downed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.seelatest.com/india/middle-east-saudi-f-15s-shoot-down-iran-backed-houthi-drones|title = Middle East: Saudi F-15s shoot down Iran-backed Houthi Drones - See Latest}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/continued-houthi-strikes-threaten-saudi-oil-and-global-economic-recovery|title = Continued Houthi Strikes Threaten Saudi Oil and the Global Economic Recovery}}

On 30 March 2021, a video made by Saudi border guards showed a Saudi F-15 shooting down a Houthi Quasef-2K drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM fired at short range.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39992/watch-a-saudi-f-15-fighter-swoop-in-low-to-blast-a-houthi-rebel-drone-out-of-the-sky|title = Watch a Saudi F-15 Fighter Swoop in Low to Blast a Houthi Rebel Drone Out of the Sky| date=30 March 2021 }}

• {{flag|Iran}}
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force: Ababil-3{{sfn|IISS|2025|page=340}}
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy: Ababil-3, Ababil-4, Ababil-T{{sfn|IISS|2025|page=339}}
• Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force: Ababil-4, Ababil-5{{sfn|IISS|2025|page=341}}
• Islamic Republic of Iran Army: Ababil-3, Ababil-4, Ababil-T{{sfn|IISS|2025|page=338}}
• {{flag|Iraq}}:
• Popular Mobilization Forces: Ababil-T{{sfn|IISS|2025|page=344}}
• {{flag|Sudan}}: Ababil-3, rebranded as "Zagil III-B"

• {{flag|Ba'athist Syria|name=Syria}}{{sfn|IISS|2025|pages=369−370}}
• Syrian Arab Army: Ababil-3{{Cite web|url=https://www.inss.org.il/publication/syrian-army-2023/|title=Rebuilding the Syrian Military: The Threat to Israel|publisher=INSS Tel Aviv University|date=6 September 2023|access-date=25 November 2023|author=Eden Kaduri, Yehoshua Kalisky, Tal Avraham}}

• {{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qassam Brigades.svg}} Hamas{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
• {{flag|Houthis}}: Ababil-T, rebranded as "Qasef-1".
• {{flagicon image|InfoboxHez.PNG}} Hezbollah: Ababil-2, Ababil-T (rebranded as "Mirsad-1"){{sfn|IISS|2025|page=354}}
• {{flagicon image}} Kataib Hezbollah: Ababil-3, rebranded as "Basir-1".{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}
• {{flagicon|Libya}} Libyan National Army: Ababil-2.{{cite web |last1=Mitzer |first1=Stijn |last2=Oliemans |first2=Joost |title=Tracking Arms Transfers By The UAE, Russia, Jordan And Egypt To The Libyan National Army Since 2014 |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2020/06/types-of-arms-and-equipment-supplied-to.html |website=Oryx Blog |date=23 March 2021}}

File:Ababil-2 silhouette.jpg

{{Aircraft specs

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|length m=2.88

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|wing area sqft=

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|empty weight kg=30

|empty weight lb=

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|gross weight lb=

|gross weight note=40 kg payload

|max takeoff weight kg=83

|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|more general=

|fuel capacity=16 liters

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=WAE-342

|eng1 type= twin-cylinder piston engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=25

|eng1 kn=

|eng1 lbf=

|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=

|max speed kts=200

|max speed note=in level flight

|max speed mach=

|cruise speed kmh=250-305

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|minimum control speed kmh=

|minimum control speed mph=

|minimum control speed kts=

|minimum control speed note=

|range km=

|range miles=

|range nmi=

|range note=

|combat range km=

|combat range miles=

|combat range nmi=65

|combat range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=1 ¼ – 2 hr

|ceiling m=3000

|ceiling ft=

|ceiling note= or higher

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|more performance=

|avionics=

}}

{{Aircontent

|similar aircraft=

• Qods Mohajer{{efn|The Ababil-2 compares with the Mohajer-2; the Ababil-3 compares with the Mohajer-4.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}}}
• SAGEM Crecerelle
• Altec MART/Altec S-MART
• Aerosonde Mk 4.7

|see also=

• Equipment of the Iranian Army

}}

{{reflist}}

{{notelist}}

• {{cite journal |last1=International Institute for Strategic Studies |title=Chapter Six: Middle East and North Africa |journal=The Military Balance |date=11 February 2025 |volume=125 |issue=1 |pages=312–379 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/04597222.2025.2445478 |doi=10.1080/04597222.2025.2445478 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |ref={{sfnref|IISS|2025}}|url-access=subscription }}

Attribution:

• {{USGovernment |url=https://community.apan.org/wg/tradoc-g2/fmso/m/oe-watch-past-issues/195469|title=Iran Unveils Night Vision Drone, by Foreign Military Studies Office OE Watch}}

{{Commons category|Ababil}}

{{Iranian Aircraft}}

Category:Loitering munitions

Ababil

Category:Unmanned military aircraft of Iran

Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft

Category:Military equipment of Iran