The global supply chain powering the Shahed drone

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While designed by Iran, the Shahed drone relies on a sophisticated web of international commerce. From US electronic chips to Czech engine manufacturers, the components of these loitering munitions reveal how modern sanctions struggle to contain the flow of dual-use technology across borders.

The Shahed drone family, including the Shahed 136 and its Russian variant, the Geran-2, represents a significant evolution in unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). While the drones are manufactured by Shahed Aviation Industries in Iran and in Russia, their production relies heavily on commercially available parts that are difficult to regulate. Investigations have identified components from companies in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and Poland within these systems. Specifically, wreckage of a Shahed 238 revealed electronic chips from US manufacturers Intel and Texas Instruments, alongside Tallysman Wireless antennas.

The logistics of production are equally complex. A Ukrainian report to the G7 suggests that parts are imported to Iran via Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Costa Rica. In Russia, the Yelabuga factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone serves as a major production hub, positioned near the Kama River to allow for transport from Iran via the Caspian Sea. This facility, operated by the company Albatross, has been linked to controversial labor practices, including the use of students as young as 15 and allegations of coercing young women from Africa under false pretenses of hospitality work.

The technological lineage of these drones also includes significant reverse-engineering. After capturing a US Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel in 2011, Iran leveraged the technical insights gained to create the Shahed 191 Saeqeh and Shahed 171 Simorgh. As Russia continues to iterate on these designs—moving from the piston-powered Shahed 131 to the jet-powered Geran-5—the integration of Chinese-made engines and even Raspberry Pi computers demonstrates a highly adaptive, globalized approach to modern aerial warfare.

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