The Shahed-101 is a smaller Iranian one-way attack UAV in the wider Shahed loitering-munition family, publicly documented through recovered Iraqi material, Hezbollah launches toward Israel, Houthi use in Yemen, and Russian fielding against Ukraine. Open sources describe piston and electric-motor configurations, a compact warhead, satellite/inertial navigation, and a battlefield-to-mid-range strike role below the larger Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 classes.
Russian forces have fielded Shahed-101 drones in the Ukraine theater, with Fenix Insight documenting a Kursk-region appearance and Ukrainian reporting describing recovered examples as Iranian-made 2024 production using CRPA satellite navigation and an 8-9 kg warhead.
Alma Research reports Hezbollah began launching electric-motor Shahed-101-type suicide UAVs toward Israel in July 2024, including a Kabri-area attack where recovered fragments suggested Shahed-101 use.
Alma identifies the Shahed-101 as a UAV used by the Houthis in Yemen under the Khatf-2 or Khataf-2 designation, tying the Shahed-101 family to Houthi one-way attack UAV use in the Yemen war.
Public Shahed-101 reporting is split between recovered piston-powered examples in Ukraine and electric-motor Shahed-101-type UAVs attributed to Hezbollah. The available record is strong enough to identify the weapon family and conflict appearances, but not enough to treat every reported configuration as a separate catalog entry.
Ukraine-focused sources describe satellite and inertial navigation, with a four-element CRPA antenna on recovered examples.
Ukrainian reporting gives an 8-9 kg class warhead; Euromaidan Press cites an approximately 8 kg shaped-charge and fragmentation warhead in a recovered example.
Precise range, propulsion, and payload figures vary by reported configuration and should be read as public estimates rather than manufacturer-confirmed specifications.
Public sources treat Shahed-101 as part of Iran's smaller Shahed loitering-munition family rather than the larger delta-wing Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 classes. Reporting also describes electric-motor and wider militia-adapted Shahed-101-family versions.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electric-motor Shahed-101 type | Quiet approach variant | Alma reports Hezbollah use of Shahed-101-type UAVs with electric motors, while later reporting describes electric-powered Shahed-101 versions intended to reduce acoustic warning. Sources: Alma Shahed-101 Hezbollah Use, Army Recognition Electric Shahed-101 |
| Shahed-101 family militia variants | Iraqi militia adaptation | Terrogence describes Islamic Resistance in Iraq material showing standard and visibly wider Shahed-101-family loitering munitions, with possible local modification under Iranian-backed militia production networks. Sources: Terrogence Shahed-101 Family |
 | Larger same-origin one-way attack UAV | DIA and Shahed-family references place the Shahed-101 alongside larger Iranian Shahed UAVs, with Shahed-131 separately documented as a bigger one-way attack UAV used by Russia as Geran-1. Sources: DIA Iranian UAV Display Release, Shahed Drones Wikipedia Baseline |
 | Longer-range companion family | The Shahed-136 is the larger Shahed/Geran family member with a heavier airframe and wider conflict-use record than the smaller Shahed-101. Sources: Shahed Drones Wikipedia Baseline |
The Defense Intelligence Agency said its updated Iranian UAV display included the first public showing of a newly declassified Shahed-101 recovered in Iraq, supporting Iranian origin context.
Sources: DIA Iranian UAV Display Release
Alma assessed that fragments from Hezbollah's July 11, 2024 Kabri-area suicide-UAV attack suggested a Shahed-101 with an electric motor, and later reported Hezbollah launches of the type from July 2024.
Sources: Alma Kabri Shahed-101 Assessment, Alma Shahed-101 Hezbollah Use
Terrogence reported that Islamic Resistance in Iraq material showed standard and modified Shahed-101-family loitering munitions used in claimed attacks toward Israel.
Sources: Terrogence Shahed-101 Family
Ukrainian reporting citing Serhii Flash described increasing Shahed-101 appearances in frontline zones, an 8-9 kg warhead, several-hundred-kilometer range, 4-element CRPA navigation, and 2024 Iranian manufacture.
Sources: Mezha Shahed-101 Frontline Report, Defence Blog Shahed-101 Ukraine Report
Euromaidan Press summarized Ukrainian inspection footage and Militarnyi reporting that identified Iranian markings on Shahed-101 components recovered from Russian use in Ukraine.
Sources: Euromaidan Press Shahed-101 Wreckage Analysis
