Aircraft & UAVs

Ababil-3 UAV

Also known as
  • Ababil-III
  • Ababil III
  • Basir-1
  • Basir 1
  • Zajil-3
  • Zajil 3

The Ababil-3 is an Iranian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle in the HESA Ababil family, used primarily for reconnaissance and surveillance. Open-source conflict reporting links the type or local derivatives to Syrian government-aligned operations, Iraq-aligned militia use, and Sudanese Armed Forces drone activity, while separate imagery connects the airframe to Almas missile carriage.

Ababil-3 UAV, Unmanned aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: Wikimedia Commons Ababil-3 in flight

Role in Conflicts

2013 War in Iraq
Role in conflict
Militia-operated reconnaissance UAV

Open-source conflict reporting documented Ababil-3/Basir-1 operations tied to Iranian and Kata'ib Hezbollah use during the Iraq and Syria anti-ISIS campaigns.

Operational Reporting Notes

The Ababil-3 record combines direct airframe identification with related local designations, so the conflict-use rows distinguish exact theater reporting from broader family context.

Conflict laneReported userEvidence note
2011 Syrian Civil WarSyrian government and allied forcesCSD incident reporting lists Ababil-3/Basir-1 activity in Syria during the war.
2013 War in IraqIraq-aligned Iranian-backed militia contextCSD reporting links Ababil-3/Basir-1 use to Iranian and Kata'ib Hezbollah activity in Iraq and Syria.
2011 South Kordofan and Blue Nile ConflictSudanese Armed ForcesSmall Arms Survey documented a March 2012 Ababil-3 shootdown in Jaw, South Kordofan.
2023 Sudan WarSudanese Armed ForcesCritical Threats Project identifies Zajil-3 as a local Ababil-3 design and reports SAF use from January 2024.
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Role
Dedicated surveillance and reconnaissance UAV
Configuration
Fixed-wing UAV with pusher propeller and tricycle landing gear
Top speed
About 200 km/h
Range
About 100 km round trip; Zajil-3 reporting cites about 100-250 km
Endurance
About 4 hours
Service ceiling
About 5,000 m
Carried Munitions

Open-source imagery and captions identify the Ababil-3 as a UAV that can carry the Almas air-to-ground missile.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
Almas anti-tank guided missile, Anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry WeaponsAlmas anti-tank guided missileAir-to-ground anti-tank missile

A Wikimedia Commons caption identifies Almas as an air-to-ground anti-tank missile for Ababil-3 UAVs.

Sources: Wikimedia Commons Almas guided missile

Timeline

Ababil-3 UAV Key Events

  1. Ababil-3 appears in open production references

    Military Factory places the Ababil-3 in production by 2008 and identifies it as a surveillance and reconnaissance UAV.

    Sources: Military Factory Ababil-3

  2. Ababil-3 shot down in South Kordofan

    Small Arms Survey reported that JEM shot down an Ababil-3 in Jaw, South Kordofan, with photographs showing HESA-linked markings on the wreckage.

    Sources: Small Arms Survey Following the Thread

  3. Ababil-3 family documented in Syria and Iraq

    The Center for the Study of the Drone cataloged Ababil-3/Basir-1 incidents across Syria and Iraq during the anti-ISIS war period.

    Sources: Center for the Study of the Drone Syria and Iraq

  4. Zajil-3 appears in 2023 Sudan War reporting

    Critical Threats Project reported January 2024 as the first 2023 Sudan War deployment of the SAF's Zajil-3, described as a local Iranian-design Ababil-3.

    Sources: Critical Threats Drones Over Sudan

Media

Ababil-3 UAV Videos

Ababil-3 UAV Images

Ababil-3 UAV, Unmanned aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons Ababil-3 UAV
Ababil-3 UAV, Unmanned aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons Almas guided missile
Related Weapon Systems
Aeronautics Orbiter 3 UAV, Small tactical unmanned aircraft system, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAeronautics Orbiter 3 UAVSmall tactical unmanned aircraft systemThe Aeronautics Orbiter 3 is a fully electric, runway-independent small tactical UAS built for ISTAR missions and modular payloads. Aeronautics now advertises up to 10 hours of endurance, launcher-and-parachute recovery or an add-on VTOL kit, and payload options that include EO/IR, ELINT, COMINT, EW, SAR, VMD, and MTI. Azerbaijan fielded Orbiter 3s in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and Aeronautics later announced Greek procurement activity in 2023.
Toophan anti-tank guided missile, Tube-launched anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsToophan anti-tank guided missileTube-launched anti-tank guided missile familyThe Toophan is an Iranian anti-tank guided missile family derived from the BGM-71 TOW, with wire-guided baseline models and later top-attack, thermobaric, and laser-guided branches. Public reporting connects Toophan systems to Syrian-government-aligned militias, Iraqi Popular Mobilization Unit forces, Houthi-aligned forces in Yemen, and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon through fielded-system, interdiction, battlefield-recovery, and direct-use evidence.

Related News

Sources

Treasury Iran UAV procurement networkPublisher: U.S. Department of the Treasury | Note: Supports HESA as a state-owned MODAFL subsidiary that manufactures Iran's military aircraft and Ababil-series UAVs. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Military Factory Ababil-3Publisher: Military Factory | Note: Supports the Ababil-3 type, ISR role, production timing, and basic performance figures. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Center for the Study of the Drone Syria and IraqPublisher: Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War and 2013 War in Iraq direct Ababil-3/Basir-1 conflict-use reporting and incident context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Small Arms Survey Following the ThreadPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports 2011 South Kordofan and Blue Nile Conflict direct use: JEM shot down an Ababil-3 UAV in Jaw, South Kordofan, and wreckage photographs showed HESA-linked markings. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Critical Threats Drones Over SudanPublisher: Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute | Note: Supports 2023 Sudan War direct use: the Sudanese Armed Forces used Zajil-3, identified as a locally manufactured Iranian-design Ababil-3, from January 2024. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia Commons Ababil-3 in flightPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the Ababil-3 in-flight image used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia Commons Ababil-3 UAVPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the Ababil-3 UAV gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia Commons Almas guided missilePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the Almas missile image used in the gallery and for the Ababil-3 compatibility caption. | Accessed: 2026-06-29