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Posted on 06/28/2026 2:12:17 AM PDT by Jonty30
Iranian suicide/loitering drones (kamikaze UAVs) typically have modest payload capacities, in the range of 30–50 kg for the most common types, with some variants or larger models reaching higher. Key Examples
Shahed-136 (most prominent, widely exported/used): ~200 kg total weight, payload ~30–50 kg (commonly cited as ~40 kg warhead). Russian variants (Geran-2) have reached ~90 kg in some modified configurations by reducing fuel/range. Shahed-131 (smaller variant): ~10–20 kg payload. Other types like Ababil series or Hadid-110: Often 30–40 kg. Larger systems (e.g., Arash series): Up to ~225–260 kg in some reports, but these are less common for pure "suicide drone" roles.
These payloads are optimized for high-explosive, fragmentation, or thermobaric warheads — effective against infrastructure, vehicles, or personnel in swarms, but far smaller than typical ballistic missile warheads (hundreds of kg).
Nuclear Payload Feasibility A functional nuclear warhead is much heavier and more complex than conventional explosives:
The smallest deployed nuclear devices (e.g., U.S. W54 "Davy Crockett"/SADM from the 1950s–60s) weighed around 23–26 kg complete (including casing, explosives, etc.), with very low yield (tons to low kilotons).
Modern compact designs still require significant fissile material, high explosives for implosion, neutron initiators, electronics, and robust casing — practically tens of kg minimum for anything reliable.
Iran's known nuclear program (enrichment, etc.) has not been publicly confirmed to have produced operational, weaponized, miniaturized warheads suitable for small drones. Delivering a credible nuclear device would demand advanced miniaturization, testing, and integration that exceeds current open-source assessments of their capabilities.
In theory, a Shahed-136 or similar could potentially carry a very small, backpack-style nuclear device if one existed and fit within ~30–50+ kg (with trade-offs in range/fuel). Larger Iranian UAVs (e.g., Mohajer-6 or Shahed-149 "Gaza" with hundreds of kg capacity) would have more margin. In practice, this is highly constrained:
Payload limits drastically reduce range when maximized. Guidance, reliability, and survivability of slow propeller-driven drones make them poor for high-value strategic nuclear delivery compared to missiles. Proliferation, testing, and command/control issues would be massive barriers.
Iran's drone strategy emphasizes cheap, massed conventional attacks to overwhelm defenses rather than nuclear delivery. Nuclear-capable platforms would more likely involve their ballistic/cruise missile programs. This remains speculative and is a major concern for proliferation watchers, but current drone tech points to conventional use.
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You’re comparing weight of the fissionable material. I thought you were referring to explosive yield. At any rate, you must take into account the weight of the complete bomb, not just the radioactive material. The drone carries a bomb, not simply enriched uranium.
Otherwise you could give a false impression of the power of such a drone nuclear explosive.
I think, at 10km below, the answer is probably not easy.
I think even 1/5 of hiroshima might be devastating if you have 20,000 drones with each having 1/5 of the fissionable material.
I know I speak from ignorance, but it’s alarming to me that potentially half a hiroshima can be loaded onto a drone and flown to populated areas and Iran could eventually have 20,000 drones.
Of course that would be devastating, but even if they had access to their refined uranium, which they currently don’t, they don’t enough to make even 1% of these numbers. Probably not enough for 0.1%. Then there’s the problem that they are really are hard to make. But a couple dozen dirty bombs? Yeah - that’s way within their capabilities.
Would they do this if they could? Sure. But they are way more interested in ICBMs.
Because no one could ever tunnel through the cement? You realize a lot of these underground facilities were carved out of the rock of the mountain, right?
We need to get the material out. One way or another.
It would take time and somebody would be waiting for somebody to exit from the tunnels.
To go into the tunnels is basically a thirty year operation. That’s the problem with that. Not even the US can sustain a thirty year operation to remove the IRGC from the land.
It’s not, because the yield isn’t linear. There’s critical mass to start with. You cant get an event without reaching critical mass. Just a radioactive mess - dirty bombs.
Assuming you achieve critical mass, with a well designed device, yield goes up quadratically with mass, as long as your design remains efficient. At some point it’s not possible to efficiently compress the entire mass if it’s too large and the yield curve starts dropping off.
So, assuming it’s roughly as efficient as the Horoshima device and assuming it reaches critical mass, it’s more than two orders of magnitude weaker.
Using those assumptions.
This is all complete Bull Spit. Here’s a real nuclear engineer debunking mini nukes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiB9FX1OCaU&pp=ygUWbWluaWF0dXJlIG51a2UgdCBmdWxjZQ%3D%3D
The U.S. tried it multiple times, there is actually a minimum amount of material required for a nuclear explosion. Yeah, a drone will eventually be able to deliver a device, but how is IRAN in position to build it?
Iran has never built any nuclear weapon. Not a single device! Miniaturization is always an advanced engineering method of just about any technology tree. Iran has not even tested a single bomb. How are they going to go from never building any bomb to instantly building advanced mini nukes delivered by drone technology?
Somebody convince me that Iran can deliver any nuclear weapons. By ICBM? No, again, requires advanced miniaturization, they have no experience. Is it going to be delivered by bomber? What bomber? What bomb do they even have?
Iran and nuclear weapons have been a hysterical fever dream for 50 years.
See post 28.
Another hypothetical - how many Russian nukes can the Ukraine absorb? The Ukraine using a “tactical nuke” against Russia, is about the stoooopidest idea I’ve seen yet. Who would/could stand by the Ukraine if they did initiated a nuclear war?
The minimal amount of nuclear material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction is called the critical mass, which depends on the material’s properties, shape, density, and surroundings. For example, a bare sphere of highly enriched uranium-235 requires about 50 kg to reach criticality under normal conditions.
The drones can carry up to 100kg for 700km, which I understand that includes the weight of the containment.
Cancel that - my old eyes saw Ukranian vs. Iranian - but the principle would be the same - Iran will have committed final suicide if they set off a nuke.
Make up my mind - are you talking about every IRGC tunnel everywhere in Iran, or the uranium. I’m talking about uranium. That’s in a couple locations.
And how many kg do they have, total, at 60%? And what’s critical mass for 60%? And when do you think they’re going to find time to get it to 90% - after they get it out of the collapses tunnels?
The right dirty bomb could turn NYC into Chernobyl 2.0 and it would be undetectable before the blast.
When the Soviet Union collapsed we bought all of their spent fuel rods to prevent them from being sold on the black market
Iran has been operating a the Bushehr nuclear power plant for fifteen years. That means they have lots of spent fuel rods.
Dirty bomb is the problem. Not a nuclear reaction. A small military drone could carry enough to ruin the Thames River.
400-500kg, by most accounts.
400-500kg, by most accounts.
One of the risks, if the IRGC loses, is that they may poison the Iranian people as a parting shot before they take off to Russia.
Interesting and informative. Thank you.
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