U.K. Probes Stolen Rotax Engines Possibly Used In Iranian Drones

The U.K. has directed a special intelligence unit to investigate if stolen Rotax 900-series engines are turning up in Iranian drones. The Rotax mothership, the Austrian-based Bombardier Recreational Products, has taken note of the thefts and launched its own investigation. In a brief statement, the company said, “BRP has not authorized and has not given any authorization to its distributors to supply military UAV manufacturers in Iran or Russia.”

With drones playing an increasingly critical role in the war in Ukraine, an Iranian Mohajer-6 drone shot down over the Black Sea in October 2022 was recently recovered powered by a Rotax 912. CNN reported on the aircraft in this video. The Mohajer-6 is a MALE class-drone—medium altitude, long endurance. With a 32-foot wingspan and 24-foot length, it’s about the size of a Cessna 150. Its maximum weight is 1475 pounds with an endurance of 12 hours. It's capable of long-endurance reconnaissance and can be armed with air-to-ground missiles.

The mystery is where the engines are coming from. According to Rotax, at least 130 of its 912 and 914 engines have been stolen worldwide between 2000 and 2021. At least 36 were stolen from aircraft in the U.K. and Rotax’s list cites six thefts in the U.S., including two recent ones in Florida and California. The majority of thefts occurred as long as a decade ago. The British Microlight Aircraft Association and the Light Aircraft Association are collecting information about the thefts. The U.K.’s Operation Opal, an intelligence team aimed at organized crime, is investigating the thefts.

Although Rotax has manufacturing facilities in China and Mexico, it’s believed that all of the genuine 900-series engines are built in its Gunskirchen, Austria, plant. AVweb reported on this factory in this video. It’s not known if China is capable of counterfeiting the 900-series engines and if so, why these would carry what appear to be original Rotax placards.