HESA Hamaseh

The HESA Hamaseh (Persian: حماسه, romanized: Ḥamāseh, lit. 'Epic') is an Iranian tactical and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with high flight endurance built by Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA).[2] The Hamaseh was unveiled in 2013 and entered service in 2016.

HESA Hamaseh
Role Unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle and Unmanned combat aerial vehicle (armed variant)
National origin Iran
Manufacturer Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA)
Design group HESA
First flight  ?
Status In service
Primary user Iranian Armed Forces
Produced 2013–present?
Number built 30 (2013)[1]

Design

The Hamaseh is a single engine, twin-boom UAV.[3] The UAV features a bulbous forward radome; this was later reduced in size as the UAV was developed. The Hamaseh entered service with Iran in 2016.[3]

The Hamaseh can carry up to 185 kg of fuel, equipment, and payload, and has an endurance of up to 11 hours depending on configuration.[2] It is launched via runway takeoff or JATO,[2] and is recovered by runway landing or, in emergencies, a parachute.[3] The Hamaseh can follow pre-determined waypoints to control its flight.[2] Its powerplant is unknown.[3]

The Hamaseh can carry synthetic aperture radar, radar or communications jammers, and a camera. For weapons, it can carry small bombs, grenades, or rockets.[3]

Operational history
The Hamaseh at its unveiling ceremony in 2013.

The Hamaseh drone was unveiled on 9 May 2013. Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's defense minister, claimed the drone "with its stealth quality can avoid detection by the enemy." The Hamaseh was also claimed to be a High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) platform, despite being a tactical UAV.[4] The Hamaseh at its unveiling ceremony was "equipped" with what appeared to be munitions, but they were physically bolted to the wings, not mounted on hardpoints.[4]

A scale model of a modern Hamaseh UAV in 2016 with the redesigned radome.

The Hamaseh was first used during military exercises by the IRGC Ground Forces in April 2016.[4]

In 2017 HESA offered the Hamaseh for export.[3]

Operators
 Iran

Specifications

Data from Иранская экспозиция на МАКС-2017. Часть.2[2][lower-alpha 1]

General characteristics

  • Length: 5.05 m (16 ft 7 in)
  • Width: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
  • Height: 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)
  • Empty weight: 230 kg (507 lb)
  • Gross weight: 415 kg (915 lb)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 194 km/h (121 mph, 105 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 165 km/h (103 mph, 89 kn)
  • Stall speed: 110 km/h (68 mph, 59 kn)
  • Combat range: 200 km (120 mi, 110 nmi)
  • Endurance: up to 11 h (depending on payload)
  • Service ceiling: 4,600 m (15,000 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 4 m/s (790 ft/min)

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hamaseh.
  1. Nasim Online [@NasimOnline_Ir] (6 May 2013). "Iran Defense Ministry: We have manufactured 30 "Hamaseh" drones so far" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. Yuri Lyamin (21 July 2017). "Иранская экспозиция на МАКС-2017. Часть.2".
  3. Stephen Trimble (18 July 2017). "Iran puts Hamaseh UAV on export market". Flightglobal.com. Moscow.
  4. Gareth Jennings (14 April 2016). "Iran debuts Hamaseh unmanned aircraft". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. London: IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016.
  5. Arda Mevlutoglu [@orko_8] (26 April 2018). "Hamaseh UAV Iran" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  1. This data is from the 2017 MAKS airshow. Specifications for the Hamaseh at the 2018 Eurasia Air Show were slightly different;[5] I don't know why or care.
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