Kaman 22

The Kaman 22 is a wide-body MALE-class unmanned combat aircraft developed by the Iranian Air Force. Unlike Iran’s smaller tactical UAVs, the platform was designed to carry more fuel, sensors and weapons for long-duration reconnaissance, surveillance and strike missions.

The Kaman 22’s wide fuselage and long wings provide an airframe suited to extended operations at medium altitude. The platform has been presented as capable of carrying precision-guided munitions, air-to-ground weapons and different mission pods for armed missions in addition to reconnaissance and surveillance. Open-source reporting has associated the aircraft with electro-optical and thermal imaging, laser targeting and electronic-warfare equipment.

Iran publicly unveiled the Kaman 22 in 2021 as the country’s first wide-body combat UAV. Detailed technical information about the platform remains limited, and many of its specifications have not been independently verified through official documentation. Its range, payload and endurance figures should therefore be treated as reported or estimated open-source data.

According to the Plarok database, the Kaman 22 has a maximum and cruise speed of 135 knots, a range of approximately 3,000 kilometres, an endurance of 24 hours and a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. Its 400-kilogram payload capacity makes it one of the heaviest platforms in Iran’s long-range reconnaissance and armed-UAV inventory.