Explainer: How does carrier-based Jas-313 drone boost Iran’s naval capabilities?

By Ivan Kesic

Iran's long-running Qaher-313 stealth fighter jet project has taken on a new form with the unveiling of the Jas-313, a carrier-based multirole drone that will significantly enhance the country's naval aviation capabilities.

One of the highlights during the early February presentation of the Shahid Bagheri drone carrier was the first-ever glimpse of the Jas-313 drone in the form of photos and videos.

On Monday, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the navy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), shed further light on its features and potential impact.

Footage showcased three larger and four smaller Jas-313 drones stationed on the flight deck, each bearing its distinctive fuselage marking.

While the larger models were seen parked or transported via elevator, the smaller variant took center stage, executing a ski-jump takeoff, flying in formation near the carrier, and successfully landing with a tailhook-assisted arresting wire.

This latest development signals Iran's rapid strides in naval drone warfare, pushing the boundaries of its aerial capabilities at sea.

How did the Jas-313 project take shape?

The Jas-313 drone, developed by Iranian experts, is a modified version of the Qaher-313, a single-seat stealth fighter jet capable of short takeoff and landing, first unveiled in February 2013.

At the unveiling ceremony in 2013, only a crude mock-up of the prototype was presented. In the following days, a scaled-down model was flown, and aviation designers at the time emphasized in interviews that the project was still in its early development stages.

Project engineers and Iranian media consistently stated that it was merely a mock-up and that only a scaled-down model had taken flight. Meanwhile, Western propaganda falsely claimed that Iran was attempting to deceive the public by presenting a fully operational aircraft.

Iran has never officially described the Qaher-313 as a fifth-generation fighter, contrary to misleading reports by some foreign media. Nor has it ever claimed to develop such projects, which have cost other countries tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars.

Four years later, in March 2017, Iran’s then-Minister of Defense announced that the Qaher-313 was ready for flight testing. Official descriptions of the aircraft categorized it as a short-range logistics platform, close air support fighter, light combat jet, and training aircraft.

The following month, a video was released showing a taxi test of the Qaher-313, now enlarged from its initial mock-up and equipped with two engines, instead of the previously suggested single-engine configuration.

After that, little news emerged about the Qaher-313, until reports surfaced regarding the production of an unmanned version, marking a new chapter in its development.

In February 2023, Brigadier General Amir Afshin Khajefard, managing director of the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) – a subsidiary of Iran’s defense ministry – announced in an interview that the Qaher fighter jet project would soon re-emerge as an unmanned aircraft.

Six months later, the same official announced that domestic experts were developing a new drone in two versions, with plans to publicly showcase them in the coming months.

Finally, in mid-December 2024, at the 12th Iran International Aerospace Exhibition (Iran Airshow 2024) on Kish Island, Afshin Khajefard announced that the unmanned version of the Qaher-313 was undergoing flight tests, yielding promising results.

What are the specifications and purpose of this drone?

The Qaher-313 and both Jas-313 variants feature a distinctive aircraft design, incorporating canards, sharply downward-angled wings, and a twin-tail configuration.

The contours are designed to minimize radar cross-section, while the airframe is constructed from materials aimed at reducing detectability.

According to reports, the Jas-313 drones come in two sizes, designated 60-SN and 25-SN, measuring 60 percent and 25 percent of the original Qaher-313.

The presented versions have an approximate length of 14 meters and a wingspan of 8 meters. That suggests the larger version measures about 8.4 meters in length with a 4.8-meter wingspan and the smaller version is approximately 3.5 meters long with a 2-meter wingspan.

Both drones are jet-powered, though their engines remain officially unspecified. However, the larger model likely utilizes a Jahesh-700 turbofan engine, while the smaller variant is powered by one of the Tolou mini turbojet engines.

Admiral Tangsiri stated that the Jas-313 serves as a reconnaissance and bomber drone within the IRGC Navy, seemingly referring to the larger version.

The Jas-313 can also be equipped with electronic warfare systems and execute a variety of autonomous missions independently, leveraging artificial intelligence.

Among its key attributes, Admiral Tangsiri highlighted its high speed, estimated to be high subsonic (around 1,000 km/h), along with a flight endurance of approximately one hour.

This gives the drone a combat range of around 500 km, which can be significantly extended with externally attached fuel tanks.

Its empty weight is estimated at around 1 ton, with a maximum takeoff weight of 2.5 tons. The internal payload capacity ranges from 250 to 300 kg, with an additional similar capacity on external hardpoints.

What are its key advantages over other carrier-based drones and naval assets?

The Jas-313 offers several advantages over existing carrier-based drones such as the Ababil-3 and Mohajer-6, including its stealth design for reduced radar detectability, fivefold increase in speed and significantly higher payload capacity.

Compared to naval helicopters, it holds the additional advantage of being unmanned, reducing risk and operational costs.

Unlike long-range anti-ship and cruise missiles, the Jas-313 is a reusable platform, capable of carrying multiple lighter and cost-effective missiles.

With these capabilities, the Jas-313 can swiftly engage enemy ships, flying in a sea-skimming mode to evade detection and accurately targeting vessels from a safe distance using various homegrown anti-ship missiles.

The smaller version of the Jas-313 currently serves as a test aircraft and technology demonstrator. However, it may also be deployed in the future, following a trajectory similar to that of the Shahed 191 flying wing drone and the scaled-up Shahed 171.

This variant can carry externally mounted precision-guided munitions and, thanks to its jet engine, flies faster than propeller-driven drones on the Shahid Bagheri drone carrier.

With a similar purpose-built radar cross-section as a larger stealth drone, it could theoretically function as a decoy for enemy naval air defenses, enhancing the survivability of other attack platforms.

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