The Mohajer-6 is an Iranian armed ISTAR UAV built by Qods Aviation Industries for surveillance, targeting, and light precision-strike missions. It has been documented in Russian service in Ukraine, Ethiopian government use during the 2020 Tigray War, Sudanese Armed Forces use in Sudan, and Iranian cross-border strikes against Kurdish opposition targets in Iraq.
Russian forces have used Iranian Mohajer-6 UAVs in Ukraine for ISR and strike roles; U.S. government reporting documents Mohajer-6 airframes downed by Ukrainian forces and a mostly intact example captured from the Black Sea in October 2022.
Role detailsEthiopian government forces fielded Mohajer-6 UAVs during the 2020 Tigray War; open-source imagery placed two likely Mohajer-6 airframes and a ground-control station at Semara in August 2021, and U.S. State Department comments later identified Mohajer-6 deliveries to Ethiopia in summer 2021 as deployed in the conflict.
Sudanese Armed Forces have used Iranian-made Mohajer-6 UAVs in the war against the Rapid Support Forces; reporting based on RSF wreckage imagery and satellite imagery identified Mohajer-6 drones and a ground-control vehicle at Wadi Sayyidna air base near Khartoum in January 2024.
Role detailsIran used Mohajer-6 UAVs during October 2022 strikes against Iranian Kurdish opposition targets in Iraq; the U.S. Institute of Peace timeline identifies the UAV in an IRGC attack near Sedekan, and an official 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve report states that U.S. forces downed an Iranian Mohajer-6 approaching Erbil during the same strike campaign.
Open-source material ties Mohajer-6 loadouts to small precision-guided weapons rather than large strike munitions.
| Launched item | Item type | Launch evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Air-launched anti-tank guided missile | Defense Express identified an Almas missile under the wing of a Mohajer-6, and later reporting on IRGC Navy drills described Almas and Ghaem missiles fired from advanced Mohajer-6 and Ababil-5 drones. Sources: Mohajer-6 With Anti-Tank Missiles and Guided Air Bombs, Iran Deploys AI-Equipped Missiles During Drills in Gulf |
 | Guided glide bomb family | Mehr reported the Mohajer-6 production-line ceremony alongside the Qaem smart guided bomb, and Defense Express documented a recovered Mohajer-6 in Ukraine with a Qaem-5 glide bomb. Sources: Mohajer-6 With Anti-Tank Missiles and Guided Air Bombs, Jackpot From Above |
The Mohajer-6 is best read as a surveillance and targeting aircraft with a light guided-weapon option. Public sources consistently place the airframe in a UAV system that includes an electro-optical payload, runway recovery, and a ground-control element.
| Element | Documented detail | Reader caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor and flight package | U.S. Army reference data describes surveillance equipment, fixed tricycle landing gear, and runway launch and recovery. | Exact export fit can vary by operator and airframe. |
| Light strike loadout | Open-source defense reporting documents Almas underwing carriage and Qaem-family guided bombs associated with Mohajer-6 use. | Exercise and display reporting does not by itself prove combat use of every munition type. |
| Ground-control element | Bellingcat and Africa Defense Forum both tied Mohajer-6 use to visible ground-control vehicles or stations in conflict settings. | Those observations support system deployment, not the full communications architecture. |
Bellingcat published analysis of Semara Airport imagery that identified likely Mohajer-6 airframes and a ground-control station during the 2020 Tigray War.
Sources: Is Ethiopia Flying Iranian-Made Armed Drones?
DIA visual-comparison material documents a mostly intact Mohajer-6 recovered by Ukraine from the Black Sea in October 2022; the date marks the documented recovery month.
Sources: Iranian UAVs in Ukraine: A Visual Comparison
The U.S. Institute of Peace timeline identifies a Mohajer-6 in an IRGC drone strike near Sedekan, Iraq, during attacks on Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.
Sources: Iran Primer Military and Security Timeline
Africa Defense Forum reported January 9 satellite imagery tying Mohajer-6 UAVs and a ground-control vehicle to Sudanese Armed Forces operations around Wadi Sayyidna.
Sources: SAF's Use of Iranian Drones Threatens to Destabilize Region
Reporting on IRGC Navy drills described Ghaem and Almas missiles fired from advanced Mohajer-6 and Ababil-5 drones during Gulf exercises.
Sources: Iran Deploys AI-Equipped Missiles During Drills in Gulf
