March 2026: With rising tensions in the Middle East, low-cost Iranian-designed Shahed drones have raised eyebrows in the intelligence community. The Shahed, constructed from lightweight radar-absorbing materials such as plastic and fiberglass, explode on impact and are resistant to jamming.
Studies have shown that these drones use antenna interference suppression techniques. Many experts surmise the use of Chinese BeiDou and Russian GLONASS navigation systems, while others suspect the application of a WWII-era Long-Range Navigation (LORAN) system. Regardless, the RNL’s Dr. Todd Humphreys asserts that “they have put [the Shahed] together using off-the-shelf parts, but it has… many of the capabilities that U.S. military GPS equipment has.”
For more thoughts on the design and capability of the Shahed drones, find out more with The Korea Times.
