Russia's shahed drone production soars to 10,000 per year
The Russian Federation was expected to produce at least 10,000 Shahed drones in 2024, as suggested by an inspection of one of the shot-down unmanned drones. The Ukrainians noticed a marking indicating an increase in the production rate.
In recent days, the Ukrainians shot down a Russian Shahed-136 drone marked with the serial number "Y 11934". This discovery suggests that if the Russian Federation is not manipulating the numbers, its arms industry has increased production efficiency, reaching over 10,000 units annually and 2,000 monthly.
Increase in Shahed drone production
According to the Ukrainian portal Defence Express, if serial numbers are assigned continuously, Russia manufactured around 10,000 Shahed drones on its own production lines in 2024. In February 2024, drones with the latest "Y" index had numbers exceeding 2,600, whereas the first such markings appeared in July 2023.
The "Y" index is the latest designation for currently produced unmanned drones. Initially, Russia used drones with the "M" index, marking those assembled in Iran. In 2023, there were drones with two other indices (produced in Russia), but these series are no longer encountered.
Monthly production reaches approx. 2,000 units
Defence Express explains that at the end of October 2024, a drone identified as "Y 7069" was observed. One of the recently shot-down unmanned drones, "Y 11934," suggests that monthly production has increased to 2,000 units.
The doubling of Shahed drone production in Russia remains puzzling, as it is still possible that the Russians are employing deceptive designations. However, if production has increased from 1,000 to 2,000 units monthly, it represents a significant rise compared to previous months.
It is worth noting that the Shahed-136 drones are characterised by simple construction and relatively low production costs. A single device costs around 20,000 dollars. These drones have open delta-shaped wings, a length of approximately 11 feet, and a wingspan of about 8 feet. Their combat payloads can weigh up to 88 pounds. The Shahed-136s are equipped with a Limbach L550E engine, enabling them to reach a maximum speed of around 115 mph.
