Samad (UAV)

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Samad
Samad-1 UAV in flight.jpg
This drone has been identified by some as a Samad-1 in flight.[1]
Role reconnaissance/loitering munition
National origin ?
First flight ?
Status In service
Primary users Houthi movement
Iranian Armed Forces
Hezbollah

The Samad (Arabic: صماد) (also spelled Sammad) is a family of long-range UAVs of unidentified origin used in the Middle East. The Samad is available in three variants: The Samad-1, the Samad-2 (also known as "UAV-X"), and the Samad-3. The Samad family of UAVs is primarily used by the Houthi movement in the Yemeni civil war, where the drone's long range is used to strike targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Etymology[]

The UAV was named after Houthi leader Saleh al-Sammad, who was assassinated by the United Arab Emirates 2018.[2]

Design[]

The Samad is available in three models. All models have distinctive V-shaped tail fins and a pusher engine. Samad UAVs have a ventral protrusion and wing skids, which they use for takeoff and landing.[3]

The Houthis say they have designed and manufactured the Samad family of drones. They say that the Samad 1 was designed in 2018[4] and the Samad Samad 2 and Samad 3 in 2019.[4] Independent analysts say the Samad-2 is probably of Iranian origin.[needs better source][5] According to James Rogers, of the Center for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, the Samad 3 is believed to be supplied by Iran.[6]

The Samad-1 is the base variant. It has a wingspan of approximately 3.5 meters.[7] It has a range of 500 km and is for surveillance.[8]

The Samad-2 is 2.8 meters long and has a wingspan of 4.5 meters. It has distinctive V-shaped tail fins and is powered by a rear-mounted German or Chinese pusher-engine.[9] It is also known as the "UAV-X", the provisional designation given to it in a UN report.[9] The Samad-2 can carry either a reconnaissance or an explosive payload. The reconnaissance version carries a camera, a Nikon D810 digital camera in one model.[9] The attack variant has a warhead of 18 kg of explosives mixed with ball bearings.[9]

The Samad-3 is an "extended-range" version with a conformal fuel tank mounted on the top of the drone. The dimensions are estimated at 4.5m wingspan, like the Samad-2.[7] According to the Houthis, it has a range of 1,500 km and carries an explosive payload.[8] Qualitatively, the Samad-3 is described as "inexpensive, small, slow and clumsy" and unlikely to strike targets with good accuracy.[10]

Operational history[]

The Houthis have operated Samad UAVs since at least August 2018.[9]

The Houthis say a Samad-3 UAV was used to attack Abu Dhabi international airport on 26 July 2018.[11] Analysis by Jeremy Binnie of Jane's of footage released by the Houthis of the attack says it is consistent with a Samad-2 or Samad-3, or also a different drone, the Hudhud 1.[12] The UAE denied there was any drone attack on the airport.[13] Two other alleged claims on a drone attack on the airport were reported by the Houthis, as well as two attacks on Dubai International Airport, all which were denied and unverified. An investigation by Bellingcat, published months before video of the attack was released, said "It is highly likely that a Houthi-led drone attack did not take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai".[14]

The Houthi military spokesman said used Samad 3 drones, at the Abqaiq–Khurais attack on 14 September 2019.[15]

Operators[]

  • Hezbollah– Samad-1[1] (according to two bloggers, Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans)
  •  Houthis – Samad-1, Samad-2, and Samad-3[16]
  •  Iran – IRGC, Samad-1[1] (according to the above bloggers.)

Specifications (Samad-2 / UAV-X)[]

Data from UN Panel of Experts on Yemen[9]

General characteristics

  • Crew: none (unmanned)
  • Length: 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Chinese-made DLE 170 or German-made 3W110i B2 engine

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 200–250 km/h (120–160 mph, 110–130 kn)
  • Ferry range: 1,200–1,500 km (750–930 mi, 650–810 nmi) (est. by engine manufacturer)

Avionics
unknown

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Stijn Mitzer; Joost Oliemans (September 2019). "The Oryx Handbook of Iranian Drones".
  2. ^ "تعرف على طائرة "صمّاد 3" التي قصفت مطار أبو ظبي". عربي21 (in Arabic). 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2019-09-28.
  3. ^ Binnie, Jeremy (July 10, 2019). "They take off and land on their ventral protrusions and wing skids".
  4. ^ a b "الطائرات دون طيار: التقنية والأثر العسكري والاستراتيجي". studies.aljazeera.net.
  5. ^ Shahryar Pasandideh (September 20, 2019). "Saudi Oil Attack Points to More Advanced Iranian Missiles and Drones". www.worldpoliticsreview.com.
  6. ^ Rogers, James (September 16, 2019). "4/6 Distance is an issue here & gives the perpetrators (whoever they may be) a certain amount of deniability. Take the Samad 3 for example. Believed to be supplied by Iran, it has the ability to reach 1450km & strike deep within the UAE & SA. This distance leads to deniability".
  7. ^ a b Binnie, Jeremy (July 8, 2019). "My crude dimensional analysis based on the first photo indicates the Sammad-3 has roughly the same wingspan (4.5m) as the 'UAV-X' recovered in Saudi Arabia & UAE, the Sammad-1 thus being closer to 3.5m. The UAV-X in third photo lacks the 'wing box bulge', so might be a Sammad-2".
  8. ^ a b Binnie, Jeremy (July 10, 2019). "Houthi video says the Sammad-3 has a 1,500km range (fits with estimated range of UAV-X) and carries an explosive warhead. Sammad-1 has 500km range and is for surveillance".
  9. ^ a b c d e f Ahmed Himmiche; Fernando Rosenfeld Carvajal; Wolf-Christian Paes; Henry Thompson; Marie-Louise Tougas (25 January 2019). "Letter dated 25 January 2019 from the Panel of Experts on Yemen addressed to the President of the Security Council". United Nations Digital Library System. Panel of Experts on Yemen.
  10. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D.; Koettl, Christoph; McCann, Allison; Schmitt, Eric; Singhvi, Anjali; Wezerek, Gus (September 16, 2019). "Who Was Behind the Saudi Oil Attack? What the Evidence Shows". The New York Times.
  11. ^ Binnie, Jeremy (24 May 2019). "Video confirms Yemeni attack on Abu Dhabi's airport in 2018". Jane's Defence Weekly. IHS Jane's 360.
  12. ^ Binnie, Jeremy (May 24, 2019). "Looking at the shadow in the footage of the 26 July 2018 attack on Abu Dhabi IAP, the attack UAV could be the suspected Samad-2/3 documented by the UN panel of experts".
  13. ^ "Yemen's rebels 'attack' Abu Dhabi airport using a drone | Yemen News". Al Jazeera. 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2019-08-12.
  14. ^ Investigating Houthi Claims of Drone Attacks on UAE Airports Bellingcat, 7 Nov. 2018, retrieved 7 June 2019.
  15. ^ "Yemen's Houthis threaten to attack United Arab Emirates targets". Reuters. 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  16. ^ Stijn Mitzer; Joost Oliemans (September 2019). "List of Iranian Arms and Equipment Supplied to Houthi Militants in Yemen since 2015".
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