HESA Ababil-3

History of HESA Ababil-3

The Ababil-3 (also known as Ababil-III) is a further development of the "Ababil" family of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) originating in Iran and described elsewhere on this website. The family of drones developed and built by local Iranian industries includes the original Ababil-1 "loitering munition" drone, the upgraded Ababil-2 and the dual-arm Ababil-CH. The Ababil-3 variant is a major overhaul of an established design and is intended as a dedicated intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance (ISR) platform at the military or national security level.

Production is believed to have started in 2008, and the system is still running at the time of writing (May 2019).

Ababil-3 is suspected to be an Iranian copy/clone of South African design due to its similar appearance to Denel Dynamics' "Seeker" product. Also, its internal components appear to be copies/clones of existing products from Western sources.

Externally, the Ababil-3 uses a proven dual-arm arrangement that accommodates a tubular hull in the center of its structural layout. The fuselage contains all relevant systems, including optics, avionics, powerplant and fuel depots. The optics are contained in a ventral "bubble" with 360-degree traversal and real-time tracking and reporting. Primary aircraft are fixed elements along the fuselage spine that provide the necessary lift and drag masses and flight control surfaces. Double booms are slender appendages extending aft, each covered by a rectangular tail attached to a horizontal surface (elevator).

The aircraft can perform its ground maneuvers (such as take-off, landing, and general ground walking) by rolling and the fairing's fixed three-point landing gear. The manufacture of aircraft involves composite materials.

The dimensions of the aircraft include a wingspan of 7 meters, making it larger in size than the previous Ababil-2 brand. Power comes from a single conventional engine, likely a replica of the German design (believed to be derived from the Limbach L550E), driving a multi-blade propeller unit located aft of the fuselage section, set in a "propeller" configuration.

Performance specifications include a top speed of 120 mph and a combat radius of up to 62 miles, while being able to reach altitudes of 16,000 feet.

Ababil-3 is a known entity over Iraq, Syria, and Sudan. Several were lost in both combat-related operations and random operations, the latter due to poor training or poor aircraft quality.

On February 25, 2009, an American-flying F-16 Fighting Falcon claimed possession of an Ababil-3 after towing the plane in Iraqi airspace for about 70 minutes.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force operates the Ababil-3 only in the ISR role. In Syria, the system was renamed "Zagil III-B". For Hezbollah, the plane became the "Basir-1".

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes