Photo: depositphotos
China has become a crucial link in the global supply chain behind Iran’s Shahed drones, supplying engines and other components that have enabled Tehran to develop and improve the weapons, The Wall Street Journal reports.
According to the publication, China has long been one of the most important sources of engine components, servomotors and gyroscopes used in Shahed drones.
Iran initially relied on technologies derived from Western designs but had to obtain components from around the world. Former U.S. officials, Ukrainian officials and analysts say that even Western-made parts were often routed through mainland China or Hong Kong using intermediary companies to conceal their final destination.
From German engines to Chinese supply chains
One of the biggest challenges for Iranian engineers was developing an engine capable of operating at high speeds and temperatures for several hours. They turned to the German-designed L 550 E engine.
U.S. diplomatic cables from 2008 described how Iran obtained the engine from German manufacturer Limbach Flugmotoren, reportedly through intermediaries using falsified documentation.
A Chinese company began distributing Limbach engines in 2012 and acquired the German company in 2017, making access easier for Iranian customers. The United States later sanctioned a Chinese subsidiary, Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine, over alleged supplies of engines to Russia’s drone program.
Iran subsequently developed its own engine based on Limbach designs through the company Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar, which has been linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The company nevertheless continued to rely on inexpensive components sourced through China.
The U.S. sanctioned Mado in 2021, along with Chinese businessman Ma Jie, who was accused of helping Iranian defense officials procure components through companies in mainland China and Hong Kong.
Western components also reach Russia and Iran through China
Ukrainian researchers have found Western components in Iranian and Russian kamikaze drones, including Texas Instruments microcontrollers and voltage regulators made by Swiss company STMicroelectronics.
U.S. Treasury investigations found that many such American and European components were ultimately routed through Chinese intermediaries and front companies, often based in Hong Kong, which concealed Iran or Russia as the final destination.
Texas Instruments said it strongly opposes the use of its chips in Russian and Iranian military equipment and the illegal diversion of its products. STMicroelectronics similarly said it does not support unauthorized uses of its products.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials and analysts say Western components are gradually disappearing from Shahed drones as Iranian and Russian manufacturers increasingly replace them with Chinese-made alternatives.
China’s role is growing
Ukraine has recently found more Chinese components in Russian Shahed-type drones, including antennas, modems and SIM cards used to adjust flight trajectories through local networks.
Newer Shahed variants have also adopted turbojet engines, increasing their speed and making interception more difficult.
Ukraine has linked some of these engines to Telefly Telecommunications Equipment, a Chinese company based in Shenzhen that produces microturbine engines used in drones. After Ukrainian authorities identified Telefly engines in Russian drones, the company’s English-language website reportedly removed references to its turbojet products, while Chinese-language pages and online stores continued to display them.
Former U.S. Treasury official Carrie Bitsoff said the supply chain has evolved: Iran initially focused heavily on obtaining Western components, but Chinese manufacturers have increasingly developed the ability to produce comparable parts themselves.
After a Russian attack on Kyiv on July 4, Ukraine’s Security Service also reported finding Chinese-made components in Geran drones, including parts marked as being manufactured by Suzhou Ecod Precision Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
