Given that Iran regularly makes misleading claims about their UAVs, and that Shahed-129 made no known drone strikes for its first four years of flight, there were long doubts about the Shahed-129's claim to be a legitimate strike UAV. Since 2016, there is a general consensus that it is in fact a legimitate UCAV capable of lethal force.
[19]
Though the Shahed 129 airframe is likely capable of its claimed 1700 km combat range, it relies on a ground control station, which Iranian state media say is limited to a 200 km datalink.
[13] Independent analysts are more positive, saying the effective range is likely 300–400 km, but are clear that the drone's reliance on a ground station severely circumscribes its effective range.
[3] Other experts say the Shahed 129's datalink could likely not reach even 200 km.
[18] The drone can use an autopilot system, similar to that used on the
Karrar UAV, to follow predefined way-points beyond its control station's communication range.
[20] The Shahed is claimed to have a 24-hour endurance, which is considered plausible but has not been independently verified
