VIDEO Combat Video Footage Saudi Arabian F-15 aircraft

A video reportedly filmed on July 2, 2020 shows Saudi Arabian F-15 aircraft intercepting and shooting down two Iranian Shahed 129 UCAVs over Yemen. These combat drones look to be a counterfeit model of the Israeli Hermes 450. The Shahed 129 combat drones are a direct copy based on reverse engineering from a crashed Israel Hermes 450 combat drone, according to various sources. The Shahed 129 is considered the country’s most capable drone.

Shahed 129 is a powerful platform with significant more payload capacity, compared to other similar drones. Its external shape reflects significant advancement in composite materials fabrication, including the production of large airframe and structural elements. Strike missions employing guided weapons also indicate the evolution of compact yet capable sensors and datalinks, enabling the relay of target images and engagement of such targets in real time, over considerable distances.