Taliban’s drone capabilities
According to information from security sources in
#Afghanistan who spoke with me, the
#Taliban obtained 85
#ScanEagle surveillance drones from military facilities of the former Afghan government. These American-made drones were used by the Afghan Republic’s military only for reconnaissance missions and had no offensive capability.
ScanEagle drones conducted reconnaissance operations within a range of about 100 kilometers and, if internet and communications coverage were available, could operate at distances of up to 200 kilometers.
The suicide drones that the Taliban reportedly used to strike targets inside
#Pakistan closely resemble these drones, but they differ in the fuselage, wings, tail, and propulsion system.
According to military officers who worked with ScanEagle drones in Afghanistan, these drones can carry an additional payload of one to two kilograms, but they lose stability if the weight exceeds that limit.
If the Taliban have modified these drones and added explosives to them, their destructive capability would still not be comparable to that of Iranian-made Shahed loitering munitions.
If the ScanEagle drones have not been modified, another possible option for the Taliban would be to produce drones by copying models developed in other countries with the assistance of al-Qaeda specialists. The United Nations Security Council also referred to this issue in a report published in December 2025.
There is no evidence that India, Iran, China, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, or other countries have supplied drones to the Taliban. All of these countries appear to be acting cautiously in security matters involving the Taliban.
An intelligence officer familiar with the matter said that al-Qaeda specialists are present at the Shikar Qala compound in Logar province and are building drones using models developed in other countries.