How big of a nuclear load could an iranian suicide drone carry?

Today | Jonty30

[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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TOPICS: Conspiracy; History; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: dirtybomb; iran; irgc; koranimals; terrorweapon

[The Great RJ]

Consider that a drone could be used to distribute radioactive materials potentially killing thousands.

[bobbo666]

Ridiculous swinging d*cks games. The only reason for an explosion is for arseholes to point and show what they did.

Want to create terror? Just load a few kilos of radioactive powered Cobalt onto any small drone and crash it into a tall building. The wind will scatter the dust all over the city blocks and require complete evacuation. No one will even know until some dentist’s office downwind starts screaming alarms about their Xray machine having gone batshitte. By then anyone who has taken a breath is doomed.

[Zathras]

An Iranian drone or rocket couldn’t get off the ground and sufficient safeties are not in place.
The W54 was pretty advanced and very expensive as it was U235 based.
Warheads based on reactor grade Pu239 limit out at around 1k yield.
Only the prince of idiots would launch a nuclear weapon at Israel.

[Zathras]

I speak from knowledge.
You are just scaring FR members.
I’ve been a nuclear historian for 50 years. Learned most from Chuck Hansen who was the source for Richard Rhodes book “Building the Atomic Bomb” and 90% of other writers on the topic.

I can think of one senerio attack that MIGHT work but will not mention it anywhere on-line.
BTW this is not a personal attack. :-)
You just need to a bit more careful