The Samad () (also spelled Sammad) is a family of long-range UAVs of unidentified origin used in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. The Samad is available in three variants: The Samad-1, the Samad-2 (also known as "UAV-X"), and the Samad-3. The Samad family of UAVs is primarily used by the Houthi movement in the Yemeni civil war, where the drone's long range is used to strike targets in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and the UAE.

Etymology

The UAV was named after Houthi leader Saleh al-Sammad, who was killed by the UAE in 2018.

Design

The Samad is available in three models. All models have distinctive V-shaped tail fins and a pusher engine. Samad UAVs have a ventral protrusion and wing skids, which they use for taking off and landing. The Houthis say they have designed and manufactured the Samad family of drones. They say that the ''Samad 1'' was designed in 2018 and the Samad Samad 2 and Samad 3 in 2019. Independent analysts say the Samad-2 is probably of Iranian origin. eeds better sourceAccording to James Rogers, of the Center for War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark, the Samad 3 is believed to be supplied by Iran. The Samad-1 is the base variant. It has a wingspan of approximately 3.5 meters. It has a range of 500 km and is for surveillance. The Samad-2 is 2.8 meters long and has a wingspan of 4.5 meters. It has distinctive V-shaped tail fins and is powered by a rear-mounted 3W German 3W110i B2 or Chinese pusher-engine DLE 170. It is also known as the "UAV-X", the provisional designation given to it in a UN report. The Samad-2 can carry either a reconnaissance or an explosive payload. The reconnaissance version carries a camera, a Nikon D810 digital camera in one model. The attack variant has a warhead of 18 kg of explosives mixed with ball bearings. The Samad-3 is an "extended-range" version with a conformal fuel tank mounted on the top of the drone. The dimensions are estimated at 4.5m wingspan and a length of 2.80 m , like the Samad-2. According to the Houthis, it has a range of 1,500 km and carries an explosive payload. According to Mark Voskuijl et all Samad-3 flight range is about 1800 km. Qualitatively, the Samad-3 is described as "inexpensive, small, slow and clumsy" and unlikely to strike targets with good accuracy.

Operational history

The Houthis have operated Samad UAVs since at least August 2018. The Houthis say a Samad-3 UAV was used to attack Abu Dhabi international airport on 26 July 2018. Analysis by Jeremy Binnie of Jane's of footage released by the Houthis of the attack says it is consistent with a Samad-2 or Samad-3, or also a different drone, the Hudhud 1. The UAE denied there was any drone attack on the airport. Two other alleged claims on a drone attack on the airport were reported by the Houthis, as well as two attacks on Dubai International Airport, all which were denied and unverified. An investigation by Bellingcat, published months before video of the attack was released, said "It is highly likely that a Houthi-led drone attack did not take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai". On the morning of 18 May 2021, during 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, the IDF downed an Iranian Samad UAV, which was launched from

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and entered Emek HaMaayano, apparently from

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. On 29 November 2023, USS ''Carney'', a

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

destroyer, downed a Samad-3 (KAS-04), which was launched from a Houthi-controlled area of

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

and was heading toward the warship in the southern

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

. USS ''Carney'' was escorting the Military Sealift Command USNS ''Supply'', and another U.S. flagged ship carrying military equipment to the region. On 19 July 2024, a Samad-3 launched by the Houthi government struck

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

at 3:12 a.m., killing a man and injuring ten others. The Houthi government claimed it had launched a drone that could bypass radar detection systems, whereas the Israeli military claimed that the drone had been identified, but no action was taken due to human error.

Operators

* Hezbollah– Samad-1 (according to Oryxspioenkop) * – Samad-1, Samad-2, and Samad-3 * – IRGC, Samad-1 (according to the above bloggers.) * Kata'ib Hezbollah (probable)

Specifications (Samad-2 / UAV-X)

References

External links

{{Commons category Unmanned military aircraft